NEET aspirants with symptoms to take test in separate rooms

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 10

The candidates detected with above normal temperatures at the exam centres for the September 13 National Eligibility cum Entrance Test-UG will be placed in isolation rooms and allowed to take exams there.

The Health Ministry today issued standard operating procedures to prevent the spread of Covid-19 while conducting the upcoming NEET-UG, UPSC and NDA tests.

Candidates will have to bring self-declaration forms on their health status. If a student is found symptomatic at the centre, permission to take the exam or denial thereof would be granted as per the policy of the agency conducting the exam. In case of NEET-UG, the National Testing Agency advisory said, candidates would be checked with thermal guns at the entrance to registration rooms. “Those with above normal temperature will be allowed to take the exam alone in a separate room.”

The advisory further said students could not bring bags, cellphones, books to the centre. As many as 15,97,433 candidates have registered for NEET exam to be held at 3,863 centres.

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) also issued a set of guidelines for civil services preliminary examination on October 4, making masks mandatory for candidates.

Meanwhile, the Serum Institute of India today halted Indian trials of the Oxford vaccine after the Drug Controller General of India issued them a notice yesterday, asking why the trials should not be suspended amid safety concerns. On the Covid front, India today witnessed the highest single-day rise of 95,735 infections.