JEE Main May session postponed due to COVID-19: Education Minister
What's the story
The May session for the Joint Entrance Examination (Main) 2021 has been postponed in view of the COVID-19 situation in India, Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal announced on Tuesday. The May session was scheduled to be held between May 24-28, 2021. Last month's April session of the competitive exam had also been postponed as India faces a brutal second wave of COVID-19.
Details
Exam postponed keeping students' safety in mind: Pokhriyal
Sharing a notification by the National Testing Agency, Pokhriyal tweeted, "Looking at the present situation of COVID-19 and keeping students safety in mind, JEE (Main) - May 2021 session has been postponed. Students are advised to keep visiting the official website of NTA for further updates." The May session was scheduled to be held on May 24, 25, 26, 27, and 28.
Quote
Rescheduling of April, May sessions to be done later: NTA
The NTA's notification stated, "The rescheduling of the April and May sessions will be done subsequently. The registration for the May session will also be announced at a later stage." "Candidates are advised to use this time to prepare themselves better for the examination. They can also take practice (full length/chapter-wise) tests on the NTA Abhyas App from the comfort of their homes."
Context
JEE Main to be held in 4 phases
Earlier, the NTA had decided to organize the JEE (Main) 2021 in four sessions. Candidates are allowed to appear for all four sessions and the highest mark will be considered the final score. This relaxation was offered in order to reduce the stress for candidates due to COVID-19, especially for those who have been severely impacted by the pandemic.
Recent news
6.2 lakh appeared in Feb session; 5.5 lakh in March
Two of these sessions have already been held: one from February 23-26, and another from March 16-18. 6,20,978 candidates appeared in the February session, while 5,56,248 candidates appeared in the March session. On April 18, the NTA had announced the postponement of the April session; scheduled to be held on April 27, 28, and 30. Students and academicians had been demanding the exam's postponement.
Outbreak
India reported 3.5 lakh new cases today
India is currently witnessing a massive surge in COVID-19 cases. India has added a whopping 50 lakh cases over the past 15 days, taking its tally past 2 crore, making it only the second country after the US to cross the grim milestone. India reported 3.5 lakh new cases on Tuesday, down from a record spike of 4 lakh on Saturday.