New Guidelines For NEET Exam: NTA Says No To COVID-19 Positive Candidates

Bhubaneswar: The National Testing Agency (NTA) has released a new guideline stating that the COVID-19 infected students will not be allowed to appear for the NEET exam scheduled to be held today, September 13.

In a letter to Centre Superintendents, NTA said that it has received a revised SOP on preventive measures to be followed while conducting examinations to contain the spread of COVID-19 from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, 'wherein it was provided that ‘a clear policy on allowing/disallowing symptomatic candidates to undertake examinations shall be delineated by the Examination Conducting Authorities in advance'.

It further said that keeping in view the interest of the COVID-19 positive candidates and the safety of other candidates and exam personnel, it has been decided that the genuine COVID-19 positive candidates would be allowed to take NEET (UG) 2020 at a later date, which will be finalised after the exam on September 13.

"In case any COVID-19 positive candidate is contacting your Centre, he/she may be advised to approach NTA with a copy of his/her NEET (UG) 2020 Admit Card and Certificate from Competent Authority in support of his/her claim as a COVID-19 positive candidate, through the email address: ncov19@nta.ac.in," it said.

The COVID-19 safety/ preventive measures and COVID-19 positive candidates may be dealt with accordingly at your respective NEET UG exam centres, the exam conducting agency added.

Earlier, NEET Odisha Convenor Palli Pattnaik had said that a COVID symptomatic aspirant can appear for the medical entrance exam in isolation centre and invigilators, wearing PPE kits will be deployed for the same.