Coronavirus: After JEE Mains, JEE Advanced also gets postponed
In the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, the Joint Entrance Exam (JEE) Advanced 2020 has been postponed. The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi—the organizing institute for JEE—made the announcement on Wednesday on its official website. Earlier, the JEE Main 2020 had been postponed. The exam will not be held at least until the last week of May. Here are more details.
JEE Advanced will be rescheduled after JEE Main is held
On Wednesday, an update on the IIT-Delhi website stated, "JEE (Main) 2020 April Examination has been postponed due to COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019) outbreak. JEE (Advanced) 2020, which was scheduled to be held on Sunday, May 17, 2020, thus stands postponed." The exam will only be rescheduled after the JEE Main 2020 has been held, the notification added.
Earlier, JEE Main was scheduled between April 5-11
The JEE Main exam was earlier scheduled to be conducted between April 5 and 11, however, it has been postponed. Around 9 lakh candidates have registered for the exam. Only those who clear JEE Main will appear for the JEE Advanced.
NTA announced JEE Main postponed till May last week
On Wednesday, the National Testing Agency (NTA) announced that the JEE Main has tentatively been postponed at least until the last week of May. The exact dates of the exam have not been announced. The same day, Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal also chaired a meeting with 23 IIT Directors via video conference to review the preparedness of the institutes amid the COVID-19 outbreak.
India's COVID-19 cases cross 1,900
According to the latest update from the Union Health Ministry, the total number of COVID-19 cases in India had risen to 1,965 by Thursday morning. These include 50 deaths, 1,764 active cases, 150 cases where the patient has been cured or discharged, and one patient who has migrated out of India. Maharashtra remains the worst-hit state with 335 COVID-19 cases.
What is COVID-19?
COVID-19 was first reported in China's Wuhan city in December 2019. The disease is caused by a novel coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2. The virus attacks a host's respiratory system triggering symptoms such as fever, cough, and breathing difficulties. In severe cases, it may cause pneumonia, multiple organ failure, or death. COVID-19 has spread to roughly 170 countries, killing over 47,000 and sickening 9.4 lakh.
