COVID-19: Engineering entrance JEE-Main likely to be pushed to February, say officials
New Delhi: The Joint Entrance Exam (JEE)-Main for admission to engineering colleges across the country is likely to be held in February instead of January, according to officials.
The rising number of COVID-19 cases and engineering admission for this year still being underway, are among the reasons behind authorities contemplating the move.
"As the engineering admission is still underway, it is being considered that JEE-Main of 2021 is pushed to February. This will give a chance to students who were not satisfied with the choice of the branch or their score," a senior official said.
The rising number of coronavirus cases is also a factor," the official added.
An official notification on the date of the exam is expected soon and the application process will begin next month.
JEE-Main, which is the national level competitive test for admission to various undergraduate engineering and architecture courses, including the eligibility test for the JEE-Advanced for admission to the IITs is conducted twice a year in January and April.
However, due to the COVID-19 situation, the April exam was postponed twice this year and conducted in September.
The government last month has also decided to widen the reach of the JEE-Main by offering it in more regional languages. Currently, it is offered in English, Hindi, and Gujarati.
There is no clarity on whether shifting the JEE-Main to February will have any effect on other competitive exams and board exams.
A total of 8.58 lakh candidates had registered for the JEE-Main exam this year for admission to engineering courses in IITs, NITs, and Centrally Funded Technical Institutions (CFTIs) while only 74 percent of them had appeared for the exam.
Increasing the number of examination centers, alternate seating plans, fewer candidates per room and staggered entry and exit were among the steps taken by the National Testing Agency for safely conducting the crucial exam.
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4 workers die after being buried under coal slurry in Jharkhand's Dhanbad
Dhanbad (Jharkhand) (PTI): At least four workers died after being buried under coal slurry in Jharkhand's Dhanbad district on Saturday, a police official said.
The incident took place at Moonidih coal washery in the command area of Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL).
"Bodies of all four workers were dug out of debris during a rescue operation," Putki police station in-charge Waqar Hussain told PTI.
The incident took place when coal slurry was being loaded into trucks by workers, during which a large chunk of slurry fell and trapped several workers underneath, officials said.
The deceased have been identified as Manik Bauri, Dinesh Bauri, Deepak Bauri, and Hemlal Gope.
Meanwhile, the family members of the deceased and local villagers placed the bodies in front of the washery gate and began a protest.
They demanded compensation, jobs for dependents and action against those responsible for the incident.
Police and administration officials are trying to pacify the protesters, an official said.
