Sunday, 19 May 2024, 10:27AM
From CBSE to NTA JEE Main exam date, some of the major announcements were made this week. Besides, the new education minister, Dharmendra Pradhan also took charge this week. The National Testing Agency (NTA) made major announcements regarding two of the most coveted entrance exams — JEE Main 2021 and NEET-UG 2021. Here is all that happened this week:
In a first, the CBSE announced that it will bifurcate the board year into two semester with exams at the end of each semester. The board also announced that the syllabus for the year will be rationalised on the lines of what was done in the last academic year when the syllabus was reduced by 30%. The rationalised syllabus will be split in half across the two terms.
The term I exams are to be held in November-December 2021 and will have Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) covering only the first half of the rationalised syllabus. Term II exams are to be held in March-April 2022 at exam centres fixed by the Board. These exams will be two-hour-long papers with questions in different formats, but “in case the situation is not conducive for normal descriptive examinations,” term II exams too will be in the form of 90-minute MCQ papers.
The CBSE will also be issuing new internal assessment guidelines for classes 10 and 12 students as part of its revised assessment scheme for the academic year 2021-2022.
Dharmendra Pradhan was on Wednesday inducted as India’s new Education Minister. Pradhan was handling the petroleum ministry till now in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s second term. He will now handle the education and skill development portfolio. He will will take over from Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’, who resigned from his position citing health issues.
This week, the National Testing Agency (NTA) announced the postponement of NEET-UG 2021, which was schedule to be held on August 1. The agency is in consultation with stakeholders and will soon release fresh exam dates. Meanwhile, the Education Ministry announced the revised schedule of two remaining sessions of JEE Main 2021.
As per the official announcement, the April session of JEE Main 2021 will be conducted from July 20-25. Around 6.80 lakh candidates has registered to appear for the April session exams which were postponed due to Covid-19. The JEE Main (May) will be held from July 27-August 2. The fourth and last session of JEE Main 2021 (May session) will be conducted from July 27-August 2.
The registration window has been reopened for candidates who could not apply for the exams earlier. Those who wish to apply for the April session will be able to apply from tonight — July 6 to July 8. JEE Main (May) session registrations will be open from July 9-12.
Several states have also announced unlock plans as covid cases are decreasing. The Maharashtra government has decided to reopen schools in areas where no active COVID-19 case has been reported in the last month.
The schools have been allowed to resume offline classes for students of classes 8 to 12 from July 15. The Haryana government on July 9 announced its decision that schools will reopen classes 9 to 12 from July 16 with social distancing. If the situation remains normal, then, schools will be reopened for other classes.
The Bihar Education Minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary said on Sunday that educational institutions may resume offline classes after July 6, if the Covid-19 situation keeps improving.
