The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET), the examination for admission to undergraduate medical degree programmes, which was scheduled to be held on May 3, has been postponed.
It is now likely to be held in the last week of May, though no exact date has been decided as yet, the National Testing Agency (NTA) said on Friday.
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The decision has been taken in view of the hardships faced by parents and students due to the
HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank said he has directed the NTA to postpone the NEET as well as the already delayed Joint Engineering Examination's main paper (JEE-Main) until the last week of May.
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"We are hopeful that we would get back to normal situation relatively soon; but for now, various concerned Ministries and Examination Boards are examining the scenario to evaluate the situation that may necessitate any change in the schedule," said an NTA notice. "As of now, the exam is proposed to be held in the last week of May 2020. Exact date will be announced later on after assessing the situation."
NEET admit cards, which were originally to be issued on March 27, will now be issued only after April 15, it said. India is under a complete lockdown until April 14 to contain the spread of the virus.
Interactive map of confirmed coronavirus cases in India
"We understand that academic calendar and schedule is important, but equally important is well being of every citizen including students," said the notice. In fact, the Central Board of Secondary Examination is yet to complete Class X and XII Board examinations, which have also been postponed due to the epidemic.
Students can visit ntaneet.nic.in and nta.ac.in for the latest updates. Individual information is also being sent to candidates via registered mobile number and email address. Students can also contact the following numbers for any clarifications: 8700028512, 8178359845, 9650173668, 9599676953.