The Ministry of Human Resource Development has decided to postpone entrance exams including JNU, UGC, NET and IGNOU PhD and several others keeping in mind the lockdown. Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank said: “The Director General of National Testing Agency has been advised to postpone the last date for submission of applications for various examinations”. The Union Minister said: “This includes admission examinations of Jawaharlal Nehru University UGC NET, IGNOU PhD, ICAR exam, NCHM-G and management course.” The deadline for all these exams has been extended by one month. The Ministry of Human Resource Development has also directed the CBSE, NIOS and NTA to prepare a revised schedule of examinations. Along with this, autonomous bodies and the NCERT have been asked to prepare an alternative academic calendar. The Ministry has taken this step so that all students can apply for these exams with ease and accessibility. In view of the risk of coronavirus infection, the Central government has also decided to postpone the NEET examinations. Admission cards were to be issued for the NEET exams but have not been issued. Now, the Ministry has issued a notice to postpone the examinations. “After the nationwide lockdown is implemented, it is no longer possible to conduct this type of examination,” said a senior official. The JEE Main examinations have also been postponed. The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) has extended the last date for submission of the form for the term-end examination to be held on April 30, 2020 without any late fee. Students can submit the June TEE examination forms on the official website of IGNOU. The deadline for submission of assignments has also been extended to April 30. A senior official of the Ministry said: “In compliance with the order issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs on March 24, all the offices of the Ministry of Human Resource Development and its autonomous and subordinate institutions will remain closed for a period of three weeks.”
