Ahead of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Entrance Exam (JNUEE), the JNU Students’ Union (JNUSU) has written to the Controller of Examinations, National Testing Agency (NTA), JNU administration, and the Ministry of Education requesting them to postpone the dates as it is clashing with UGC NET.
The NTA had announced it will conduct the JNU entrance exam 2020 from 5-8 October 2020.
Meanwhile, several students of Calcutta University and other institutes are also in a quandary as their final-year examinations are clashing with the JNU entrance exam schedule.
Students All Over India Appeal to NTA
“First, they need to announce a date by giving at least one month’s notice. Apart from the student union’s letter to NTA, several students have individually appealed as well. We have requested them to consider the hundreds of students who will lose the opportunity,” said Satish Yadav, General Secretary, of JNUSU (JNU Student Union).
“The students haven’t received any response so far and so they fear they will have to choose between the exams, which is very unfair,” he added.
The UGC NET 2020, which is an important examination for those planning to pursue research, is scheduled to be held on 24, 25, 29 and 30 September, 1, 7, 9, 17, 21, 22, 23 October and 10 November. They were earlier scheduled to be conducted from 16 September and was deferred due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Long-Distance Travel to Exam Centre Adds to Woes
Students of Calcutta University have written to the concerned officials requesting the schedule be changed to accommodate the interests of many students who want to appear for entrance exams for postgraduate courses, but have received no response till date.
Another issue raised by many students is that the examination centre specified is very far from the place of residence.
While the final-year exams are conducted online, students would be required to go to the designated exam centres for the JNU exam.
“I live in north Kolkata and the centre I have been allocated is about 25 kms away in the south. And my peers have been allocated a centre in the other end of the city, which means we need to travel for one-and-a-half or two hours,” said Arnab Roy, a BSc Economics final-year student of Calcutta University.
A few students told The Quint that many have even recommended that they take the final-year exam on the go, “if they are very keen to take the JNU exam”, but “that is so risky, because of the stress and network signal”.
“It is imperative to perform well in this because we can’t do our masters without graduating,” said Roy.
Along with the coronavirus pandemic, transportation facilities are uncertain and many feel there is not enough time to plan their travel.
JNU’s MPhil & PhD Conundrum
In a letter to the director of Examination at JNU, the student union wrote a letter listing out a few important issues:
- There is no clarification on quarantine rules for students travelling to another state for writing the exam and whether isolation centres will be provided for COVID-positive or symptomatic students.
- Students should be allowed to change centres as many of them have been allocated centres 20kms away which poses a risk during the pandemic.
- As per JNUEE prospectus, students were supposed to sit for only one exam for both MPhil and PhD in a subject but admit cards have been released separately with different centres.
The NTA recently issued a notice clarifying that students need to give just one exam for MPhil and PhD, and it will be counted for both.
Many students expressed disappointment that the education department was not factoring in the interests of the students and planning better.
“On 20 September, Central University Common Entrance Exam was scheduled as well as the Indian Statistical Institute test. We forwarded the schedule to each university to make a point that they are clashing. And we had put in equal time and effort for both exams, paid the fees and so wanted to give a shot at both. Neither of them listened and at the end of the day we had to make a choice,” said Roy.
The Quint reached out to the Controller of Examinations and Administration officer of JNU and NTA. This story will be updated if and when we receive a response.
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