Video Producer: Varsha Rani
Video Editor: Abhishek Sharma
When the pandemic started, we all were in school and honestly, did not think it would take years for things to get back to normal.
Being a student, who was preparing for JEE and I wanted to get into an IIT, I initially thought this would be the perfect time for all of us to sit at home, and prepare in the best way possible.
Little did I know, nothing like that would happen because the pandemic crushed the dreams and aspirations of many students like me, with all the mental, emotional and financial distress.
The pandemic stress started to rise among all IIT aspirants when we were forced to study and give exams under such stressful conditions.
We're demanding for an extra chance for JEE Advanced. Currently, students get two attempts to qualify for admissions at India's premier engineering colleges.
I spoke to a few other students who were going through the same problems.
Digital Divide Widened Between Cities and Villages
The digital divide between cities and villages widened as all the classes were shifted to online mode which meant only those who had access to a smartphones/laptops and a good internet connection or WiFi could attend these classes.
Deepika Dubey was one of those who could not attend online classes as she didn't have a smartphone.
"I did not have a smartphone because of that I could not study online and due to the lockdown, I was unable to buy one too. The day came when I gave the JEE MAINS and I didn't qualify because my intermediate boards books were not enough to crack the exam."Deepika Dubey, Mirzapur
COVID-19 Affected Students Learning
In the year 2020, I passed my board exams and was supposed to give JEE Advanced with good preparation but it didn't go as planned due to the COVID crisis, in which, both my parents were infected. With coaching and offline classes closed, I was dependent on self-preparation, the less material and access, I had to crack the JEE exams.
This is not just my story, Harshit Bansal from Gwalior and many others went through a similiar experience.
In the months of January and February, my family was infected because of COVID which hindered my preparation. Amidst this, it is very unfair and unfortunate to expect a student to crack a difficult examination like JEE.Harshit Bansal, Gwalior
Pandemic – A Financial Threat!
For many families, the pandemic posed a threat to their financial stability. For Divyanshu Mayank all his parents savings were used to stock up the ration and other necessities during the lockdown.
Due to the lockdown, our families underwent a financial crisis. All the savings we had, were utilised in stocking ration for the family. Due to this, we couldn't afford anything in that period of time.Divyanshu Mayank, Ranchi
All I can say is that it was a very harsh experience for me to study in this isolated, lockdown and environment, with mental pressure and torture, I had to endure all the way through 2020, and even if I could attempt the JEE Advanced, I couldn't secure a good rank to get into my desired IIT with the branch I needed.
Students Urge Authorities To Take Some Action
We have sent request letters and emails to all of the seven IITs under the JAB council (Joint Admission Board) because they are the ones who get to make decisions for JEE Advanced Dates. We have sent letters to IIT Bombay as it will be conducting the JEE Advanced 2022.
Along with the IITs, we have also sent the letters to the education ministry and the PMO India.
It’s our humble request to the authorities to please understand our problem. The last two years weren’t the same as the last few years. We had to deal with a lot of other issues as well. Please at least review it once and look into it and allow us an extra third attempt.Divyanshu Mayank, Ranchi
We have worked very hard to get into our desired colleges and both of our attempts did not happen in the best way possible.
"These reasons may sound a bit selfish but they make complete sense from a student's point of view. We don't demand much but please give us one fair chance, that is all" said Harshit Bansal from Gwalior.
We hope that the authorities will listen to our demands and try to understand us.
The Quint reached out to the directors of IIT Bombay and Delhi but there has been no response. As soon as they reply, the story will be updated.
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