Gujarat Common Entrance Test: 3 Covid-positive candidates not allowed

As many as 1,06,161 candidates attended the entrance exam conducted at 621 buildings at 34 centres across the state, registering an attendance of 90.35 per cent. Out of 1,27,615 registered candidates, 10,112 did not download their hall tickets.

The state government went ahead with the exam despite demand from several quarters, including the Opposition and student organisations, to postpone it due to the pandemic citing health risk.

“I received inquiries from the district collectors of Dahod, Surat and Gandhinagar asking if Covid-positive candidates could attend the exam. I declined since it is not permissible under the Epidemic Diseases Acy 1897,” said GSHSEB chairman, AJ Shah.

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Separate seating arrangements were made for one candidate each from Ahmedabad city, Botad and Mahisagar as their body temperature was found high during screening, Shah added.

The number of examination centres was increased in view of social distancing norms. “This time, we did not allow more than 200 students in one building, instead of 400-600 candidates allowed earlier,” Shah said.

Anju Sharma, Secretary, Education, said, “We conducted the exam with micro planning such as allowing students inside the examination centres and outside in a staggered manner.”

She added that the same protocol will be followed for the supplementary exams of GSHSEB Class 10 and 12 scheduled from Tuesday. “All exam centres will be regularly sanitised, both after the exam and between two exams, with the help of civic bodies and district collectors,” she added.

“It was a test for our organisation, too, under the Covid conditions, with rains adding to the trouble,” Shah said.

Usually GUJCET exams are conducted before the Class 12 Science results are declared. However, this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the entrance exam was delayed.

In medical stream, out of 76,967 registered candidates, 65,115 were present. The entrance exam is conducted for admission to degree engineering courses and degree and diploma pharmacy courses in government, grant-in-aid, and self-financed institutes of Gujarat. The exam is held in Gujarati, Hindi and English.