The Joint Entrance Examination Main, or JEE Main 2020, was conducted from September 1-6 and the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test Undergraduate, or NEET 2020, will be held on September 13 for over 15 lakh students. The National Testing Agency, or NTA, decided to conduct the two biggest engineering and medical entrance exams in September after two postponements in view of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and despite several court cases and stiff resistance from some states. According to official information, over 8 lakh candidates had registered for JEE Main 2020. The number registered for NEET is over 15 lakh and yet another petition has been filed in the Supreme Court to delay it.
Unlike JEE Main, NEET 2020 will be conducted as a pen-and-paper test for admission to undergraduate medical programmes in participating institutions. NTA has already released NEET 2020 admit card at ntaneet.nic.in.
Due to the pandemic, students and parents demanded further postponement of JEE Main and NEET exams. The Supreme Court of India, however, on August 17 dismissed pleas asking for a further delay of the entrance exams.
"Life cannot be stopped. We have to move ahead with all safeguards,” the court said.
After the decision of SC, NTA released standard operating procedure (SOP) for conducting the examinations. To ensure safety of the students, the agency announced extra precautionary measures, including sanitisation, phased entry and exit of students, and dropbox for admit card and rough sheet.
The Supreme Court on August 14 rejected another plea seeking online exam centres for students abroad. On September 4 -- day 4 of the JEE Main examination -- SC denied the review petition filed by six opposition states.
The Supreme Court will today hear yes another plea on the entrance exams. This time, the petitioners have demanded postponement and more exam centres for NEET 2020.
JEE Main 2020 result will be declared tentatively on September 12. On September 12, registration for JEE Advanced 2020 -- for the top 2,50,000 JEE Main qualifying candidates -- will begin.
Along with the results, JEE Main cutoff marks will also be announced. Candidates who meet the required cutoff marks will be able to apply for admission to IIITs, NITs, and GFTIs.
NEET 2020 result and counselling schedule will be announced soon after the conduct of the examination.