Education
GATE 2022 candidates from across the country are demanding the postponement of the exam the spike in Covid-19 cases.
Updated : Jan 19, 2022, 06:38 AM IST | Edited by : Vaishnawi Sinha
The rising number of Covid-19 cases across the country has led to the postponement of several university exams and entrances. Now, over 23,000 candidates appearing for the GATE examination in February have joined a petition demanding the exam be postponed in view of the third wave of COVID-19.
The Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) is an examination that primarily tests the comprehensive understanding of various undergraduate subjects in engineering and science for admission to the master's programme and recruitment by some public sector companies.
This year the exam is being conducted by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur from February 4-13.
"With the current third wave, COVID-19 due to its new variant Omicron has spread severely in several states, cities. Several studies including one done by IIT Kanpur predict that the peak of the 3rd wave is expected in early February and the wave will end by April. Therefore, the peak is most likely to coincide with the usual exam dates of GATE," the petition read.
"If the exam dates are not postponed, the candidates appearing for GATE 2022 run an imminent risk of getting infected and spreading it thereby getting threat to their life as well as their family member's lives," it added, according to PTI reports.
There was no response from the IIT Kharagpur on the issue. The result of the exam is scheduled to be declared on March, 17.
Students across the country have also started a social media campaign against the conduction of the GATE 2022 examination the next month when India is still reporting over 2 lakh cases of Covid-19 daily. Students are voicing their concerns using hashtags such as #postponegate2022 and #rescheduleGATE2022 on social media.
One student has written, “Entire India is witnessing more than 2 lakh cases per day and @IITKgp has announced the GATE exam dates amidst this horrible situation. So I urge the government to act upon and postpone the exam to save the lives of the students.”
Entire India is witnessing more than 2 lakh cases per day and @IITKgp has announced the GATE exam dates amidst this horrible situation. So I urge the government to act upon and postpone the exam to save the lives of the students.#Gate2022#postponegate2022 @EduMinOfIndia pic.twitter.com/dvptNZTWSh
— Sunit Das (@DarkSaint1999) January 14, 2022
#PostponeGATE2022
— Mohd Mubashir (@themohdmubashir) January 15, 2022
If a participant gets infected by covid then it will be his/her fault and such participants wont be allowed to appear in the exam.
Worst Decision @IITKgp . Such an inhuman behaviour and decision to conduct #Gate2022 during this pandemic situation@EduMinOfIndia pic.twitter.com/DVHQ7k9kmk
COVID cases are currently at peak and asking students to travel in such situations will put their lives at risk. I urge IIT Kgp to postopone GATE 2022 and conduct once the cases decline.#postponeGATE2022 @IITKgp @EduMinOfIndia
— Ankit (@ankitese) January 17, 2022
(With PTI inputs)