The Madhya Pradesh government will arrange free transport for candidates appearing for JEE and NEET examinations, to be held in the next month, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Sunday. “Government of Madhya Pradesh is arranging free-of-cost transport facility for students appearing for JEE/NEET exams. Arrangements will be done from block HQ (headquarters) and district HQ of exam centres. Examinees can call at 181 or can apply by clicking on http://mapit.gov.in/covid-19 from August 31,” Chouhan said in a tweet.
In different tweets, the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said the free two-way transportation facility will be provided to students taking the exams to ensure that they do not face any problem due to coronavirus. This facility can also be availed by one of the associates of the candidates, it said. Students seeking free travel will have to register themselves on helpline 181 or on the e-pass portal of the state government, the CMO said.
While the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) is scheduled to be held on September 13, engineering entrance exam, JEE-Main, is planned from September 1 to 6. Many opposition parties have opposed the Centre’s move to go ahead with these exams amid the COVID-19 pandemic questioning the safety of students
Free transport in Chhatisgarh
Meanwhile, the Chhattisgarh government has also decided to arrange free transport for candidates appearing for JEE and NEET examinations to be held next month, an official said on Sunday. He said Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has instructed all district collectors to ensure free transport to and fro for candidates from their areas to examination centres, the official said.
The CM also directed that district nodal officers be appointed to coordinate with Regional Transport Office (RTO) and District Transport Office (DTO) to arrange buses, vans and other vehicles, he said. The National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts medical and engineering entrance exams, has decided to hold NEET on September 13 and the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Mains from September 1 to 6.
“The JEE exam will be conducted from September 1, so buses will have to be run from August 31 for the candidates who hail from places located far off from examination centres,” the official said. About 13,500 candidates will appear in JEE exam across the state for which five centres have been set up, he said. Collectors have been directed to immediately release the contact numbers of nodal officers to enable candidates to register themselves, he said.
Candidates will be allowed to board vehicles on production of their admit cards, the official added. One of parents will be allowed to accompany girl students during journey, he said, adding that the expenditure of the entire travel will be borne by the state government.
The CM also instructed to strictly maintain physical distancing norms in view of the coronavirus pandemic during the travel, he added. Baghel on August 28 had strongly opposed the Centre’s move to hold NEET and JEE entrance exams amid the COVID-19 pandemic, saying it was not the right time to conduct the exams.
