Chennai students forced to travel long distances for JEE (main)
Thousands of students from Chennai and some other cities in TN have to travel hundreds of kilometers to Puducherry, Coimbatore or Madurai to take the JEE (main) exam this year. This is because these students will not be able to take the offline version of the test in their hometown, as the centres here only support the computer-based test.
Students aspiring for a BE / BTech seat have to take Paper 1 of JEE (main), while those aspiring for BArch/ BPlanning have to take Paper 2. Paper 1 can be taken on pen-and-paper or online, but Paper 2 is only available offline.
The Central Board of Secondary Education, which conducts the JEE (main) has made arrangements for students in Chennai, Cuddalore, Dindigul, Kanyakumari, Karur, Namakkal, Salem, Thanjavur, Tiruvannamalai, Tuticorin, Tirunelveli, Trichy, Vellore, Villupuram and Virudhunagar to take the test only through online mode. Centres in Coimbatore and Madurai have both options. Students from Chennai and other cities who want to take Paper 1 in offline mode or sit for Paper 2 will have to travel to Puducherry, Coimbatore or Madurai, depending on a first-come-first-served basis.
Jaswantika*, a Class 12 student, has still not applied as she is in a dilemma. "I want to take the test for BArch as well, but if that is offline, then I have to travel to another city. Writing near home has its advantages. I will be calmer. I hope they will have at least one offline centre in Chennai," she said.
The test also serves as a preliminary exam for the JEE (advanced), scores of which will determine admission to the IITs. This has also increased the number of candidates taking the test from Chennai.
Educational consultant D Nedunchezhiyan of Technocrats IndiaCollegeFinder.com said, "City students may be comfortable with taking a computer-based test, but those from the districts are struggling just to apply online. It's not right to ask them to sit for an exam that will determine their future in a mode they are not comfortable with."
Anitha Rajesh, whose daughter is set to take the JEE (main), said that it was not fair that Chennai and Bangalore don't have offline facilities when the other metros do. "We have to travel overnight or find accommodation there. This will put a lot of pressure on parents and students, and is completely unnecessary."
Students aspiring for a BE / BTech seat have to take Paper 1 of JEE (main), while those aspiring for BArch/ BPlanning have to take Paper 2. Paper 1 can be taken on pen-and-paper or online, but Paper 2 is only available offline.
The Central Board of Secondary Education, which conducts the JEE (main) has made arrangements for students in Chennai, Cuddalore, Dindigul, Kanyakumari, Karur, Namakkal, Salem, Thanjavur, Tiruvannamalai, Tuticorin, Tirunelveli, Trichy, Vellore, Villupuram and Virudhunagar to take the test only through online mode. Centres in Coimbatore and Madurai have both options. Students from Chennai and other cities who want to take Paper 1 in offline mode or sit for Paper 2 will have to travel to Puducherry, Coimbatore or Madurai, depending on a first-come-first-served basis.
Jaswantika*, a Class 12 student, has still not applied as she is in a dilemma. "I want to take the test for BArch as well, but if that is offline, then I have to travel to another city. Writing near home has its advantages. I will be calmer. I hope they will have at least one offline centre in Chennai," she said.
The test also serves as a preliminary exam for the JEE (advanced), scores of which will determine admission to the IITs. This has also increased the number of candidates taking the test from Chennai.
Educational consultant D Nedunchezhiyan of Technocrats IndiaCollegeFinder.com said, "City students may be comfortable with taking a computer-based test, but those from the districts are struggling just to apply online. It's not right to ask them to sit for an exam that will determine their future in a mode they are not comfortable with."
Anitha Rajesh, whose daughter is set to take the JEE (main), said that it was not fair that Chennai and Bangalore don't have offline facilities when the other metros do. "We have to travel overnight or find accommodation there. This will put a lot of pressure on parents and students, and is completely unnecessary."
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