About 9.58 lakh aspirants have registered for the exam to be conducted from September 1-6 across 660 testing centres. While Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh governments have assured the aspirants free transportation, a group of IIT alumni and students have launched a portal to provide transport facility to exam centres for needy aspirants. Ramesh Pokhriyal, Union minister of education, has appealed to chief ministers to support the candidates. According to Vineet Joshi, director general, National Testing Agency, a comprehensive standard operating procedure for the candidates and centre staff has been put in place to ensure social distancing and secured delivery of the test. There has been demand for further postponing of the JEE (main) and medical entrance exam NEET-UG amid rising Covid-19 cases. The JEE (Main) is conducted for admission to engineering courses in IITs, NITs and Centrally Funded Technical Institutions (CFTIs), the score of which is also used by various state and private engineering colleges. “I appeal to chief ministers of all states to support our students in such unprecedented circumstances and make appropriate arrangements so the aspirants do not have to face any inconvenience. I also appeal to students to have faith in agencies behind conduct of the examination,” said Pokhriyal.