Have faith in the system, IIT directors tell students, parents

NEW DELHI: Amid concerns over holding JEE and NEET-UG exams in September despite the Covid-19 situation, directors of several IITs have said any further delay will lead to ‘zero year’ and any quick alternative will only dilute the quality of education besides having cascading effects.
Amid the chorus for postponement of the two exams, the IIT directors appealed to students to “trust” the institutions conducting the tests. “The pandemic has already disrupted the academic plans of students and institutions and we don’t see the virus going away any time soon. We should not let this be a zero academic year as it might have consequences on the bright future of several students,” IIT-Roorkee director Ajit K Chaturvedi said, adding that students and parents need to have faith in the system.
As some candidates on the social media claim that they would miss out on the opportunity if the exams are conducted during the pandemic, IIT-Guwahati director T G Shriram said: “JEE is held multiple times in a year and students who don’t appear this time can write it after six months. Keeping in mind the efforts put in by students who have prepared, it is critical that the exams are conducted as scheduled. Delay in holding the exams will lead to serious repercussions for the students as well as the IITs.”
Stating that any quick alternatives will dilute the quality of education, IIT-Kharagpur director Virendra Tewari said: “The exams have a global reputation for seeking excellence. A quick alternative will certainly not be as gratifying as competing for this examination by all fair means."