Over 15 lakh candidates today would be appearing in medical entrance exam NEET, according to officials of the National Testing Agency (NTA).
A total of 15.97 lakh candidates have registered for the exam.
The exam will be conducted amid the outbreak of coronavirus pandemic and in a bid to maintain social distancing, the NTA has increased the number of exam centres from originally-planned 2,546 to 3,843, while the number of candidates per room has been reduced from earlier 24 to 12.
The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET), a pen and paper based test has been cancelled twice. The exam scheduled for May 3, was rescheduled to July 26, and finally pushed to September 13.
The testing agency has also changed centres for a few candidates this week in order to maintain social distancing norms and COVID restrictions. However, the city of the exam centre hasn't been changed for any candidate, an official notification stated.
"For ensuring social distancing outside examination halls, a staggered entry and exit of candidates has been planned. Adequate arrangements have also been made outside examination centres to enable candidates stand with adequate social distancing while waiting," a senior NTA official said to PTI.
"Candidates have also been issued an advisory guiding them about the 'dos and don'ts' for proper social distancing. We have also written to states governments to extend support in local movement of the candidates so that they are able to reach their examination centres in time," the official added.
Candidates will also be offered a three-ply mask at the time of entry and are expected to wear the same during the examination in order to avoid any form of unfair means at the time of examination, the PTI report stated.
