JEE (Main) 2020 begins today amid strict COVID-19 precautions to ensure safety of students

New Delhi: The Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main begins today (September 1) after being postponed twice due to the coronavirus pandemic. The National Testing Agency (NTA) is all prepared to conduct the exam amid COVID-19 guidelines. 

The NTA has taken several measures to keep in mind and has also increased the number of examination centres from 570 to 660. Around 8.58 lakh students have registered for the JEE main exams this year. 

Union Minister of Education Ramesh Pokhiyal 'Nishank' has appealed to the chief ministers of various states to support the students appearing for the exam.

The exam this year will be computer-based and there will be a gap of atleast one computer between every student. The shifts of Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main 2020 will be held in two shifts per day that makes a total of 12 shifts in six days. The first shift will be between 9 am to 12 noon and the second will be from 3 pm to 6 pm.

The students were seen availing public transport services to reach the examination centre on Tuesday morning. 

The Madhya Pradesh government will arrange free transport for candidates appearing for JEE and NEET examinations, announced Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday.

The Odisha government has also decided to provide free transportation and accommodation to the applicants of Joint Entrance Exams (JEE) and the National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (NEET) in the state, said Asit Tripathy, State Chief Secretary.

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has also given instructions to all District Collectors to make arrangements for transportation of candidates for JEE and NEET exams to their examination centres and bringing them back.

The JEE Main 2020 is being conducted by NTA for admission to Undergraduate Programs in NITs, IIITs and other Centrally Funded Technical Institutions (CFTIs), etc. for the next academic year (2020-2021) in two phases.