JEE Mains 2020: Day one of exam passes off peacefully in Jharkhand

JEE Mains 2020:

The day-1 of the Joint Entrance Examinations (JEE) Mains 2020 passed off peacefully in five cities of Jharkhand on Tuesday, The exam had been earlier opposed by the JMM-Congress led Jharkhand government and some student organisations.

The examinations were held with all the precautionary measures amid the Covid-19 pandemic. At Ranchi’s Tupudana-based examination centre where examinations were held in two shifts, 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 temperature of the students was checked before allowing them to enter the exam halls. The students were asked to remove the masks they were wearing and were given new masks at the examination centre. The students also underwent sanitisation.

However, as many as 190 students were absent in the first sitting of the examination. “A total of 220 students were present, while 190 students were absent in the first sitting of the examination at Tupudana centre,” said a JEE-Main city coordinator Ram Singh, who is also the principal of Delhi Public School (DPS), Ranchi.

Explaining the reasons behind the absence of students, Singh said, “Two rounds are conducted in JEE-Main. The students who are not satisfied with the first round of JEE-Mains appear for the second round. So, the number generally declines in the second round,” Singh said.

He further said that Covid-19 and transportation issues could also be a reason behind it. “But the number of such cases would be very less. If any examinee or his/her any family member were suffering from Covid-19, he/she might have escaped the examination,” he said.

An examinee from Jharkhand’s Gumla district Puja Kumari, who appeared for the examination at Ranchi’s Tupudana-based centre, said, “I was scared initially due to rise in case of the Coronavirus. But then thought, we have to appear for the examination either this month or next month. There is no guarantee that Covid cases would fall down after a month or two. So, I took the examination strongly.”

She said the papers were as per her expectation. “However, the paper of mathematics was a little tough,” she said.

Another examinee, Aditya Kumar from Ranchi’s Bariatu locality, said, “I was scared seeing the Covid check-up at the centre. However, I got a sigh of relief when entered the exam hall, as I was confirmed that I am not infected with the virus.” Kumar said he was happy that the examination was not postponed. “Career is most important for me than Covid.”

Over facing transportation problems, he said, “I have my personal vehicle. So, I didn’t face any trouble. But, the examinees, who don’t have personal vehicle might have faced problem in Covid period as there was less number of vehicles on road today.”

Jharkhand government has allowed intra-state bus movement from Tuesday with 50% passenger capacity.

A parent, Manish Singh, who came from Khunti around 45-km from Ranchi for his son’s examination, said, “I have no personal vehicle. So, I faced huge trouble. I have to hire a private car, which charged almost double the actual fare.”