On the first day of JEE Main 2020, some 45% students from Gujarat skipped the examination. According to a senior official, the percentage of students skipping JEE Main stood at 25-30% in earlier years. JEE Main 2020 is being conducted amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The current figure of students not attending the examination was "10-15%" more, the official said.
On September 1, JEE Main exam was conducted for BArch and BPlanning aspirants. In Odisha, 3,6000 candidates took JEE Main 2020 on the first day.
The state government had said on Monday that 38,167 students had registered for JEE Main being conducted by the National Testing Agency in 32 centres in 13 districts between September 1-6.
"On the first day, out of 3,020 registered students, only 1,664, or 55%, remained present, while 1,356 (45%) did not turn up,” Virendra Ravat, JEE Coordinator for Gujarat told PTI.
“Normally, 25-30% students skip the exams every year. The percentage this year is higher by 10-15%," Mr Rawat added.
On Monday, Gujarat Education Minister Bhupendrasinh had said the administration would hold the exams after taking all precautions in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Several media reports and Tweets have alleged that on the first day, JEE Main exam was not conducted in Jankipuram Extension and Krishna Nagar centres of Uttar Pradesh, causing confusion among students.
However, NTA, through its official Twitter account, had clarified that no exam was scheduled in the two reported centres.
“This is false information. There are no exams scheduled in Krishna Nagar and Jankipuram Extension centres today,” NTA had said on social media.
In West Bengal, JEE Main candidates had a difficult time reaching their test centers on the first day due to heavy rain and lack of transport.
