Day 1 of JEE (Main) 2020: Papers were 'moderately difficult', say students; complain of lack of transport in West Bengal

The first day of the Joint Entrance Exam (JEE) Main was conducted as per schedule on Tuesday across the country. While students in West Bengal had a tough time reaching test centres, in Maharashtra’s Nagpur the exam was conducted smoothly without any technical glitches, reports have said. Earlier, the JEE and National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) exams had a runn in with controversy as students and Opposition leaders appealed to the Centre to postpone the exams due to the COVID-19 pandemic and floods in some parts of the country. The central government, however, indicated that it was unwilling to reconsider its decision to hold the exams. While Centre and Opposition party leaders locked horns over the issue , students on Tuesday appeared for the first day of the exam. Across India, COVID-19 protocols like temperature check before entry into the exam hall and social distancing norms, among others, were followed. Students face ‘moderately difficult’ exam on day one Students said that the first day of the JEE exams say a moderately difficult, Career 360 reported. “The JEE Main paper analysis suggests some expected questions from general ability and drawing. However, Maths was found to be difficult on account of numerical questions,” the report said. Meanwhile, The Quint quoted a student at an exam centre in Uttar Pradesh’s Noida as saying, “Exam was easy. Maths portion was hard. Aptitude portion was really very easy, and Drawing portion was also light.” WEST BENGAL: Students face transportation difficulties   Candidates in West Bengal had a difficult time reaching their test centres due to heavy rain and the lack of transport, PTI reported. The state government had asked all state transport utilities to commence bus services from 5 am in view of the exam, but several candidates in North 24 Parganas, Berhampur, Malda, and Siliguri districts claimed that they had to wait for hours, braving the downpour, to get a bus to reach their test centres. Suspension of local train services due to the COVID-19 pandemic added to the woes of the candidates. “I had to hire a cab to reach the centre at TCS Gitobitan in Salt Lake from Khardah (North 24 Parganas) as no direct bus was available. It would have been easier if the trains plied,” Subham Das, one of the candidates, was quoted as saying by PTI. Adequate safety measures have been taken to ensure the safety of the students, a spokesperson at TCS Gitobitan said. “Candidates were allowed inside after thermal screening. Not more than 12 were accommodated in a room. The entire campus has been sanitised for the purpose,” he said. Several kilometres away, at DPS Ruby Park in south Kolkata, another centre earmarked for JEE (Main) exam, the drill was more or less the same, with students maintaining social distancing norms while entering the hall. The Bengal government had earlier opposed the Centre’s decision to conduct JEE(Main) and NEET exams, contending that students would be exposed to health hazards amid the pandemic. However, state education minister Partha Chatterjee had on Monday said that he would no longer comment on the matter as the Centre has entrusted the NTA to take necessary measures for the safety of the students. In Delhi too, a strike by Ola and Uber drivers caused problems for students appearing for the exam, Careers 360 reported. NAGPUR: Exam conducted smoothly  In Maharashtra’s Nagpur, the JEE exam was conducted without any technical glitches, and students said that the arrangements at the centres were “excellent”, The Times of India reported. “I was pleasantly surprised to see the level of planning. There was no crowding because at the main gate they were sending candidates one by one, and a person there ensured social distancing,” a student, Priyanshu Kumbhare was quoted as saying. Meanwhile, the report also quoted the Association of Coaching Institute (ACI) as saying that the exam was “not at all tough”. “Students were able to finish everything on time,” the statement said. In Jharkhand too, the JEE exam was conducted “peacefully” in exam centres in five cities, Hindustan Times reported. While students were given new masks at the exam centre and sanitiser, at Ranchi’s Tupudana exam centre, “students were being given a reminder about social distancing on loudspeakers. Circles were also marked to help maintain social distance at the entry point of the exam hall,” the report said. Meanwhile, the Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court refused to stay the JEE examination on Tuesday morning. However, the court said any student residing in flood-hit parts of Maharashtra’s Vidarbha region who cannot reach the exam centre or reaches late can apply to the National Testing Agency to seek a re- examination. ODISHA: Over 3,000 students appeared for JEE Amid strict enforcement of COVID-19 protocols in Odisha, as many as 3,600 students appeared for the JEE Main exam in the state, PTI reported. The students appeared for the examination in 26 different centres spread across seven cities in the state. As many as 38,236 students will be appearing for the examination in the state. Students are appearing in the exam in the 26 examination centres in seven cities — Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Rourkela, Dhenkanal, Balasore, Berhampur and Sambalpur. Before being allowed entry into the examination halls, the temperature of the students was checked with thermal scanner. They also had to maintain social distancing norms while entering the examination hall. The state government has made elaborate arrangements for the movement of students and their guardians by providing them with buses and accommodation, the report added. “The arrangement made by the state government has helped many students in getting the opportunity to appear in the examination. It has immensely helped the students hailing from rural areas,” said Nirakar Mallick, a JEE aspirant from Kendrapara district. NTA says reports of exams being cancelled in 2 UP centres is fake news On Tuesday afternoon, the National Testing Agency (NTA) said that reports claiming that the JEE exam for B.Arch and B.Plan was cancelled in two Uttar Pradesh centres were fake. The NTA tweeted that that no exams are to be held in Krishna Nagar and Jankipuram Extension centres and that the exam is being conducted as planned in other centres of Lucknow.

This is false information. There are no exams scheduled in Krishna Nagar and Jankipuram Extension centres today. Exams have been/ are being organised as planned in other centres of Lucknow. https://t.co/gKgm8tbKd2

— National Testing Agency (@NTA_Exams) September 1, 2020

With inputs from agencies