National Testing Agency (NTA) has received around 20,000 applications from students who shelved their plans to study abroad for Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) during a special registration drive that ended in May 2020.

With the Covid-19 pandemic thwarting foreign university plans and JEE registration deadline expiring long back, many aspiring engineers found themselves stranded academically.

Union human resource development (HRD) minister Ramesh Pokhriyal said his office received multiple requests from aggrieved students and parents, following which the special JEE initiative was started.

“I was very happy to hear they now want to study in India and chart their academic journey in local colleges,” said Pokhriyal.

NTA Director General Vineet Joshi said the special window for registration ended on May 31, 2020. “We too were surprised to see so many registrations coming,” he said.

Joshi said that in any normal year, these students would have already completed their ‘study abroad’ formalities.

“Earlier the situation worldwide (Covid-19) was not so serious and these students would have joined their new campus by September. Now, they want to continue with studies in India. Considering the unique situation, these students were given another opportunity to register for JEE,” said Joshi.

The NTA DG added he was happy with the unexpectedly high response. “It’s good for the country, for institutions and we will save some foreign exchange too,” said Joshi.

JEE (Main) will be conducted between July 18-23, 2020 in two shifts. NTA is also gearing up to handle the Covid-19 challenge and ensure the safety of lakhs of candidates who will appear for the big-ticket exam.

Joshi said, “We are consulting with an expert medical team and planning every minute detail. Right from the time a candidate enters the centre to his/her exit.”

So far the plan is that students will sit on alternate terminals, to ensure Covid distancing. “In the second shift, the unused computer will be taken over for exam,” said Joshi.

A detailed plan is being prepared for the sanitization of students, premises and even the computers.