Govt considering holding JEE Main four times in 2021: Pokhriyal

NEW DELHI: The Centre is considering a proposal to hold the Joint Entrance Examination (Main) four times next year, beginning in February end and then once every month till May, Union education minister Ramesh Pokhariyal Nishank announced on Thursday.

In case the suggestion is accepted, the candidates will have the option to appear in one or all tests and for ranking, their best performance will be taken into account.

He also said, during an online interaction with students, parents, and teachers, that while the syllabus for the engineering test will remain the same, students may be given choice to answer 75 questions--25 each in Physics, Chemistry & Mathematics, out of 90 questions- 30 each in Physics, Chemistry & Mathematics.

In JEE (Main), held twice this year, students were expected to answer all 75 questions.

The flexibility is being considered in order to ensure a staggering of students and to reduce stress on them, according to the Union education ministry.

The minister also said that the schedule for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET 2021), which like JEE (Main) is also organized by the National Testing Agency, is being finalized in consultation with the Union ministry of health and family welfare and the newly established medical education regulator National Medical Commission and will be declared soon.

While the syllabus for the examination will remain the same, it is yet to be decided on whether the test will be held in online or offline mode.

On the date of CBSE class 10, 12 board examinations, the minister said that the consultations with the stakeholders are in progress for deciding the dates and it will be announced soon, based on the feedback received.

In case students are not able to do practical in classes before the examinations, said Pokhariyal, alternatives to practical examinations will be explored.

The minister also sought the cooperation of students and teachers in the effective implementation of the national education policy. While hoping that students will soon return to their normal school days, Pokhariyal urged them to continue their studies along with adhering to all the precautions and guidelines on Covid-19.