16 Exams Put Off by NTA Since 2018: Education Ministry in Lok Sabha
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The National Testing Agency has put off a minimum of 16 exams since its inception in 2018; this was stated by the Ministry of Education in reply to the Lok Sabha. Minister of State for Education Sukanta Majumdar furnished the information while responding to a written question asked by DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi in the Lok Sabha.The various reasons cited for deferrals ranged from the COVID-19 pandemic, administrative, logistic, and technical issues. Some of these particular exams that were postponed due to the pandemic were JEE-Main, 2020; NEET-UG, 2020; JEE-Main, 2021; and NEET-UG, 2021.Other exams, like CSIR UGC-NET (2020), UGC-NET (December 2020), UGC-NET (May 2021), and Indian Council of Agricultural Research ICAR AIEEA (2020), have been postponed due to a mix of the COVID-19 pandemic and logistical problems. The Delhi University Entrance Test, DUET 2020, was postponed because the registration process for it was put on hold by DU due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This decision to postpone the Common Management Admission Test, CMAT 2021, had been taken in view of the revision in the pattern of the examination declared by AICTE. Also, due to the prevalent conditions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Competent Authority decided to further postpone the examinations for All India Ayush Post Graduate Entrance Test, 2021, and Joint Integrated Programme in Management Admission Test, 2021. The IGNOU PhD Entrance was postponed in 2022 due to administrative reasons. Revision: The Graduate Aptitude Test Biotechnology, 2023, Examination was postponed after consultation with the regional centers for biotechnology. In 2024, the National Common Entrance Test, 2024, was postponed due to technical issues. CSIR-NET, 2024, has been postponed due to logistic issues. It will be pertinent to mention here that since its inception in 2018, more than 240 examinations have been conducted by the NTA, involving more than 5.4 crore students.The Examination calendar will be provided well in advance by NTA to facilitate the candidates, with buffer days to accommodate reschedules and postponements for reasons beyond the control of NTA.
The NTA has been forced to postpone several examinations since 2018 due to several factors such as the COVID-19 outbreak, administrative issues, logistical challenges, and technical issues.These postponements have affected a range of examinations conducted by the NTA, including JEE-Main, NEET-UG, UGC-NET, DUET, CMAT, AIAPGET, JIPMAT, IGNOU PhD Entrance, GAT-B, NCET, and CSIR-NET.
