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Controversy Rages as India Presses Ahead With College Entrance Tests Amid
Pandemic

Anjana Pasricha

   NEW DELHI - India is grappling with whether entrance examinations for
   engineering and medical colleges should take place amid a pandemic as
   it prepares to hold the twice-postponed tests for an estimated 2.5
   million students.
   Saying further delay would jeopardize students' future, the government
   is going ahead with the nationwide examinations, starting September 1.
   Turning down a plea filed by a group of students against the decision
   to conduct the examinations, the Supreme Court last week gave the green
   light, saying "life must go on" and students "cannot waste a whole
   year."
   Those arguments have not convinced tens of thousands of students and
   parents who point to the rapidly rising numbers of coronavirus
   infections in the country to underline the risk they will face as they
   travel and take the test.
   India has been reporting record high numbers in recent days -- the
   country added nearly 1.5 million cases in the last three weeks.
   Online campaigns against the examinations have gathered momentum, and
   groups of
   students held sporadic street protests Friday in several cities
   demanding their cancellation.
   The tests are crucial in determining the path for students aspiring to
   become engineers and doctors -- the grades determine the students'
   eligibility to attend colleges that include highly sought-after
   institutions such as the Indian Institutes of Technology. High school
   students usually do intensive preparation for one to two years for
   these tests. Poorer families spend hard-earned savings to fund coaching
   for their children, hoping it will open doors to successful careers.
   Opinion on the forthcoming tests appears to be evenly divided. While
   many academicians and even students want the examinations to be held,
   others have expressed deep concern.
   Students living in distant towns say they are worried about the
   challenge of reaching examination centers while public transportation,
   such as buses and trains, have still not been fully restored. Others
   say they are apprehensive about taking the test that is crucial for
   their careers with gloves and masks, and amid anxiety over contracting
   the virus.
   Speaking to India Today television, Ravikant, a student in Ludhiana
   asked who would take responsibility if he or his family gets infected.
   Another student from Patna said he was not afraid of the test, but his
   concerns about the virus run deep because of his asthma.

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