JEE Main 2024: Candidates to undergo frisking, biometric attendance even after toilet breaks

Candidates preparing for the coveted engineering entrance exam, JEE-Main, are set to undergo heightened security protocols, as per a PTI report. The National Testing Agency (NTA) officials have mandated additional frisking and biometric attendance for candidates after any toilet breaks during the examination, it said.

According to NTA authorities, this stringent measure extends beyond candidates to encompass officials, observers, staff, and even those serving refreshments. The primary aim behind these steps is to eradicate any possibilities of unfair means or proxy attendance during the examination process.

The Decision

NTA Director Subodh Kumar Singh highlighted the purpose behind this move, stating, "The move is aimed at ensuring there are no cases of use of unfair means or proxy attendance. We have strict mechanisms in place already but the idea is to make the exam completely foolproof to ensure there are zero incidents."

Currently, aspirants undergo screening upon entry, with biometric attendance recorded at that point. The decision to extend this process post-toilet breaks is part of the agency's ongoing efforts to enhance the exam's integrity.

Director Singh indicated that this enhanced protocol might be implemented in other examinations in the future, broadening the scope of increased security measures.

JEE-Main 2024

The Joint Entrance Exam (JEE) Main serves as the screening test for admission to centrally-funded technical institutions like NITs and IITs. The top 20 percent of the merit list qualifies to take the JEE (Advanced), the entrance test for prestigious Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs).

Scheduled to be conducted in 13 languages, including English, Hindi, and various regional languages, the Computer Based Test (CBT) for JEE (Main)-2024 will run from January 24 to February 1. The results are expected to be announced on February 12.

The NTA has recorded an unprecedented 12.3 lakh registrations for the upcoming exam. Additionally, the agency plans to conduct the second edition of this bi-annual exam in April, furthering its reach and impact.