The Odisha Joint Entrance Examination (OJEE) Committee has finalised to conduct the OJEE-2020 in 15 centres against last year’s eight centres to allow students to choose place of the test as per their convenience.
The decision has been taken in view of the COVID-19 crisis as it wouldn’t be possible for many students to travel far to appear for the test due to pandemic situation and travel restrictions, officials said. Candidates will be allowed to appear test online at the centres set up at Bhubaneswar, Baripada, Berhampur, Balasore, Bhadrak, Bargarh, Cuttack, Jeypore, Rayagada, Dhenkanal, Angul, Keonjhar, Sambalpur, Jharsuguda and Rourkela.
OJEE chairman SK Chand said previously, the committee had decided to conduct the test in 10 centres. But five more centres were added to the list on Friday in view of the pandemic situation. The committee has also extended the last date for submission of online application forms for OJEE-2020 till July 31 and fee payment till August 5.
Read also: Odisha government cancels remaining UG, PG final year exams
Chand said around 64,000 candidates have already submitted their forms and this would be the last extension of dates for submission of applications online. The dates for exams and downloading the admit cards will be announced shortly after the committee reviews the situation in August.
The committee is planning to conduct test immediately after the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE-Mains), scheduled to be conducted from September 1 to 6. The committee had earlier announced to do away with the second or special OJEE this year considering the delay in conducting the OJEE-2020. A special entrance test along with OJEE-2020 will be conducted for admission into the vacant BTech seats in Government and private engineering colleges and technical institutes, the officials said.
Private engineering colleges plea to OJEE
Odisha Private Engineering College Association (OPECA) on Saturday urged the OJEE Committee to extend the last date of submitting online application for OJEE-2020 till the Plus II results are announced to allow more students to appear the test. OPECA secretary Binod Dash said if the dates are extended till CHSE results are out, more number of students will be able to submit application.
“With many students cancelling their plan of studying outside due to COVID-19 crisis, we expect more admission in engineering colleges in the State this year,” Dash said. He also said this year, the OPECA has urged all private engineering colleges not to increase their admission fee in view of the health crisis.
Courtesy: The New Indian Express
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