The National Testing Agency (NTA) has issued a clarification stating that voting in the upcoming general election will not affect eligibility to appear in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (Undergraduate) or any other exams conducted by the agency. This clarification was necessary due to a message circulating on social media that candidates with inked fingers after voting would not be allowed to take the exams.
The NEET-UG exam is scheduled for May 5, 2024, which falls during the Lok Sabha polls window from April 19 to June 1, 2024. However, there are no polling dates in any part of the country between April 27 and May 6, 2024.
The Common University Entrance Test-undergraduate (CUET-UG) will be conducted between May 15 and May 31, 2024, and there are two polling dates (May 20 and 25) that fall within this window. However, NTA has not yet announced the exact exam dates.
NTA released a public notice stating that the messages circulating on social media are baseless and that no such guidelines have been issued by the agency. The notice urges students to not pay heed to these rumors and to exercise their voting right. It emphasizes that voting will not affect their eligibility to take the examinations.
Despite the announcement of exam dates well in advance, demands for the postponement of NEET-UG, as seen in previous years, have surfaced on social media. A senior NTA official advised candidates to focus on their studies and prepare for the forthcoming examinations. This demand for postponement is commonly supported by coaching centers due to their financial interest.
For more information, read the full article on Times of India.
