Jawahar Nehru University or JNU has announced the tentative dates for the JNU Entrance Examinations (JNUEE) for the Academic Year 2019-20. According to a notification published for the prospective JNU student applicants, the varsity said the JNUEE 2018 online examinations will be held on December 27-30, 2018. The notification also said the format for the JNUEE 2019-20 will be Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) through a Computer Based Test.
“Please note that JNU reserves the right to change the Dates of Entrance Examination to a later date. This is for the kind information of all aspirants who wish to appear in JNUEE 2019-20,” said the notification.
The process to change the mode of test from subjective to objective type was initiated by the Vice Chancellor of the university through a 12-member committee formed earlier in the year.
The decision was passed in the varsity's Academic Council meeting, amid vehement protests from a section of students who deplored the online mode as a "scam" and as "unilaterally" imposed upon them by the university head.
“The online examination consists of multiple choice questions [MCQs] of 70 marks each for all courses, which negates a comprehensive evaluation of analytical, writing and other skills which are so very necessary, particularly in humanities and social sciences. Not even IITs have MCQs as an exam module for social science and humanities departments,” newly elected JNUSU president N. Sai Balaji had said then.
"The JNU administration deplores the baseless allegations levelled against the proposed computer-based test by the newly-elected JNUSU. It completely refutes the unsubstantiated claims by the JNUSU on the computer-based entrance exam and urges everyone to introspect on the benefits of such a system," the administration countered the allegations in a statement then.
Till now, the entrance examinations are conducted physically across centres, with some of them -- those conducted for M.Phil and Ph.D and language courses -- requiring a viva voce.