Updated: September 10, 2020 10:13:50 am
The conduct of the JEE (Principal) was involved in controversy with some students who demanded that the exam be postponed (Express Photo / Representative Image)
Amid the dispute over the conduct of the Joint (Main) Entrance Exam for Admission to Major Engineering Universities in Covid Times, Attendance at the Exam that was conducted between September 1 and September 6 decreased by 20 percentage points with respect to the first cycle held in January. While 94.32 percent of registered students took the exam in January 2020, attendance fell to 74 percent for the exam taken earlier this month, the first national entrance test amid the pandemic. . According to data shared by the Ministry of Education on Twitter on Wednesday night, out of 8.58 lakh of applicants, 6.35 lakh turned up for the engineering entrance test.
This figure becomes important given that the attendance in the days before the Covid was much higher. According to data previously shared by the National Testing Agency, attendance at JEE (Main) was 94.11% in January 2019, 94.15% in April 2019, and 94.32% in January this year .
IN VIDEO | ‘How do we write exams with masks and gloves?’: JEE-NEET applicants
The conduct of the JEE (Main) was involved in a controversy with some students who demanded that the exam be postponed, given the increase in Covid cases in the country. The entrance test had already been postponed twice before.
Despite student protests, the government went ahead with the exam, arguing that careers cannot be suspended indefinitely. The Supreme Court had also dismissed a petition for postponement, arguing that “the career of the students cannot be endangered.”
Read | JEE main results soon, thanks for making it a success: Pokhriyal
JEE (Main) is an online entrance exam for admission to some of the most prestigious engineering institutes in the country. Since 2019, it has been held twice a year. The second cycle of this year’s entrance test was delayed due to the pandemic. Finally it was carried out in 12 shifts over six days from September 1 to 6.
Although attendance on the first day was only 51%, prompting political reactions from opposition parties, it improved in the following days.
Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal posted attendance data on Wednesday night to counter accusations made by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy on Twitter.
Read also | JEE’s main objection raising fee reduced by Rs 800
Swamy, who previously demanded the postponement of the exam, alleged on Wednesday that only 8 lakh of the 18 lakh of registered candidates had appeared for JEE (Main), calling it “a disgrace to the nation.”
“The #JEEMains exams are held twice a year. The previous one was held in January of this year. Several students who did not take the exam in September may have performed well on the January exam, so this time they did not feel the need to take the exam. We are finding that number, ”Pokhriyal tweeted.
“Any other exam delays would not have benefited our hardworking students or their college admissions plans. Our government of NDA has always been unwavering regarding the well-being and safety of students. We will always work for the interests of our youth, “said the minister in another tweet.
📣 The Indian Express is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@indianexpress) and stay up to date with the latest headlines
For the latest education news, download the Indian Express app.
© The Indian Express (P) Ltd
.
