Coronavirus pandemic| MHRD asks National Testing Agency to postpone application deadline for UGC NET, ICAR by 1 month

Amid the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, outbreak, the Ministry of Human Resource Development has asked the National Testing Agency (NTA) to postpone the application deadline for a slew of examinations including Indian Council of Agricultural Research Exam, UGC NET exam, Jawaharlal Nehru University entrance exam, IGNOU PhD and Management Entrance Exams among others by one month.

Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, the union HRD minister said on Twitter that the NTA has also been advised to postpone the application process of the All India Ayush Postgraduate Entrance Test by one month.

To enable students to fill up their application forms during these testing times, I have advised @DG_NTA to postpone the last date of acceptance of applications of ICAR Exam, JNU Entrance Exam, UGC NET, CSIR NET, NCHM JEE, IGNOU PhD and Management Entrance Exams by 1 month.

— Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank (@DrRPNishank) March 30, 2020

Nishank added that the exams dates will be announced soon. Over the past few weeks, due to the COVID-19 situation, examinations for JEE Main, NEET as well CBSE/ICSE/ISC boards have been postponed.

On March 25, All India Institute of Medical Services had also put up a notification for postponement of AIIMS postgraduate entrance examination that was to be held on May 3.

India reported a total of 1,071 positive COVID-19 cases and 29 deaths so far. Due to a lockdown, educational institutions have also temporarily suspended classes and the admissions, testing personnel are also away from the campuses.