NEET 2020: Education Minister Pokhriyal thanks CMs & NTA; hails grit of young students

Satisfied with the participation in the NEET exam 2020, Education Minister Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank on Sunday thanked Chief Ministers of all states and National Testing Agency (NTA). A total of 15.97 lakh students have registered for the pen and paper-based test. NEET was originally scheduled for May 3, but was pushed to July 26, and then to September 13 considering the pandemic situation.

Taking to Twitter, Pokhriyal apprised about 85-90% student participation and further said that participation reflects the tenacity and grit of the young students.

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'Staggered entry and exit of candidates'

"For ensuring social distancing outside examination halls, a staggered entry and exit of candidates has been planned. Adequate arrangements have also been made outside examination centres to enable candidates stand with adequate social distancing while waiting," a senior NTA official said.

The Candidates have also been issued an advisory guiding them about the 'dos and don'ts' for proper social distancing. NTA has also written to the state governments to extend support in local transportation of the candidates so that they are able to reach their examination centres in time, the official added.

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Steps taken by NTA to conduct safe examination

Some of the major steps taken by the testing agency to conduct safe examination include; making hand sanitisers available at the entrance of the examination centre and inside the exam hall at all times, increasing the number of examination centres, replacing the process of checking the admit cards of candidates with barcode readers, alternate seating plans, fewer candidates per room and staggered entry and exit.

All the candidates are asked to come to the exam centres with masks and sanitisers and once they enter the centre, they will have to use the masks provided by the examination authority, NTA said. "Each candidate will be offered a three-ply mask at the time of entry and are expected to wear the same during the examination in order to avoid any form of unfair means at the time of examination," the official added.

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