Big change in exam policy announced by Javadekar.
In a landmark decision with great ramification for India's education system, HRD Minister P Javadekar has announced that NEET and JEE exams will be held twice a year. NEET and JEE are entrance exams for national level medical and engineering institutions respectively.
Prakash Javadekar in a press conference said that, from now, newly constituted National Talent Agency will conduct NEET, JEE, UGC NET, CMAT exams which were organised by CBSE so far. Also, NEET and JEE will be conducted twice from 2019. JEE(Mains) will be held in January and April and NEET will be held in February and May. Best score of the students will be taken into consideration. UGC NET is already held twice a year.
Another change which HRD Minister has announced is that from now on, all these exams will be computer based. The chance of getting a second attempt in a high-stakes competitive exam will surely come as a good news for students.
"The exams will be more secure and at par with international norms. There will be no issues of leakage and it would be more student friendly, open, scientific and a leak-proof system," Javadekar told reporters.
The NTA would benefit the students and they would have the option of going to computer centres from August-end to practice for the exams The tests would be computer-based. The exams would be held over a span of four-five days and students would have the option of choosing the dates, he said. The syllabus, question formats, language and fees for the exams would not be changed, he said. The time table of the exams to be conducted by NTA would be uploaded on the ministry's website. The IITs would continue to conduct Joint Entrance Examination-Advanced exam, he said.
The National Testing Agency (NTA) is Centre's one-point agency for conducting all entrance examinations.
Minister of State for Human Resource Development (HRD) Upendra Kushwaha had informed the Lok Sabha last year that the NEET and JEE (MAINS) might be conducted twice a year. "The exams will be conducted online at least twice a year, thereby giving an adequate opportunity to the candidates to bring out their best," Kushwaha had said.
The NTA was approved by Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in November 2017. The NTA would work as an autonomous and self-sustained premier testing organisation to conduct entrance examinations for higher educational institutions. The NTA would initially conduct those entrance examinations which are currently being conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). Both JEE (MAINS) and NEET are conducted by the CBSE.
With PTI inputs
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Prakash Javadekar")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}