DNA Edit: Double Dates – Chance to resit NEET, JEE will ease students’ burden

The government’s recent decision to offer students two chances to sit for the NEET and JEE (Mains) exams in one year is a welcome one. According to HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar, this means that an estimated 25 lakh students — 13 lakh of them sit for NEET, 12 lakh sit for JEE (Mains) every year — can not only choose what is the most convenient date for them to sit for the exam, but they can also sit for it twice with the best score being taken into account. With this in mind, JEE (Mains) will be conducted in January and April, while NEET will be conducted in February and May from next year. 

For those worried about possible changes in the syllabus and question formats during the two exams, Javadekar has promised nothing will be changed. The minister has also tweeted that thanks to the new move, students will no longer have to wait a year to resit the exams. The government’s move is a welcome one as it eases a lot of pressure on students. The fact that it has also announced that both of these exams will be taken online at select centres ensures there is less chance of cheating during the time between each exam. Also, the fact that the JEE (Advanced) is still in the IITs’ hands, ensures there will be no drop in the quality of students going to IIT. 

Finally, the fact that this admission process has been taken out of the CBSE’s hands and awarded to a new body — the National Testing Agency — is necessary, as this exercise will be a huge one needing a single body fully devoted to it. There are things though that the government still needs to think about. The increase in chances of sitting for the exam is welcome, but it does not change the fact that colleges and IITs still have limited seats. The ultimate goal needs to be an increase in the number of good colleges, otherwise we will have a scenario of students with better marks but without seats. 

The government must also reflect on the possible challenges it is likely to face from students. What if a student scores well in his first sitting of NEET and his peer fails? His peer sits again for the same exam and scores more, thus securing a seat. The first student may believe that his peer got an unfair advantage by sitting twice. He will argue that his fellow student got more chance to practice on the online test and a protest may break out. In such scenarios, colleges will look to the government for guidance. To overcome such issues, problem areas must be drawn up by the government administration and workable solutions will have to be decided upon. 

Extensive counselling and answering of students’ queries must be carried out so that everyone is on the same page. Fortunately, the ‘double dates’ system will be introduced next year, so there is plenty of time to allay students’ concerns. India’s students face intense pressure, especially during competitive exams. Cases of depression and suicide are not uncommon during this time and the government must be lauded for trying to ease their burden. However, this ‘double date’ is only a first step. A lot more needs to be done to secure their happiness and future.