KOLKATA: All 294 exam centres for West Bengal Joint Entrance Examination (WBJEE) were sanitised and sealed before they can be reopened at 9.30am on Saturday when principals and teachers who are part of the invigilation process will arrive on campus. This year, 92,695 examinees will be writing this entrance test for engineering colleges. This will also be the first public exam since the second Covid wave that led to the cancellation of board examinations.
The state will run special buses for examinees. The Railways will also allow candidates to board trains if they show their admit cards. Candidates and their guardians will be able to board staff special Metro trains by showing admit cards on Saturday.
“At the centres, enough masks, gloves and sanitisers will be available for staff and other service providers,” said a statement issued by education minister Bratya Basu.
“If we find anyone whose temperature is higher than what is allowed, we will allow them to wait in a room to see if the temperature comes down. If it remains high, they will have to take the test in rooms reserved for this purpose,” said Parimal Bhattacharya, headmaster of Jadavpur Vidyapith, which is an exam centre.
Parents, however, will not be allowed to crowd outside exam centres.
Most schools said the number of examinees has dwindled this year. “In my school, just one candidate has registered for the exam,” said Sucharita Roychowdhury, principal of Silver Point School. “With the Covid scare still looming, only those who are sure about pursuing engineering want to take the test. Earlier, many would register to see how much they could score,” said Sunita Sen, principal of Ballygunj Shiksha Sadan.
(With inputs from Ajanta Chakraborty and Zeeshan Jawed)
