NEW DELHI, Aug 27 - Further delay in conducting medical and engineering entrance exams NEET and JEE will lead to a �zero academic year� and any quick alternative to the crucial exams will dilute the quality of education and have cascading effects, according to Directors of several Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs).
Amid the chorus for postponement of the two exams in view of the rising COVID-19 cases, the IIT Directors appealed to students to trust the institutions conducting the exam.
�The pandemic has already disrupted the academic plans of many students and institutions and we don�t see the virus going away anytime soon. We should not let this be a zero academic year as it might have consequences on the bright future of several students,� Ajit K Chaturvedi, Director, IIT Roorkee, said.
�The decision to conduct these exams has been taken after considering every aspect of the current situation... Delaying the exams would have a cascading effect,� he added.
According to Virendra Tewari, Director, IIT Kharagpur, �The exams have a global reputation for seeking excellence and are considered one of the toughest and prestigious examinations in the world... an alternative could be misused as a precedent to dilute the entire admission process to the IIT system.�
Sarit Kumar Das, Director, IIT Ropar, who is also a member of the Joint Admission Board (JAB) of IITs, said the decision to conduct the exams in September has not been taken overnight but after due consideration. � PTI
