New Delhi [India], January 15 (ANI): The National Testing Agency (NTA) has announced a special accommodation for candidates appearing for the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main in West Bengal. Due to the celebration of Saraswati Puja on January 23, candidates had requested a change in examination date.

In response to these representations, the NTA has decided to allot an alternative date for the examination to candidates scheduled to appear for JEE Main in West Bengal. The new examination date will be among the advertised dates for the JEE Main 2026 Session 1 examination.

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In a post on X, NTA wrote, "In view of the representations received from candidates in the state of West Bengal regarding the celebration of Saraswati Puja on 23 rd January 2026, it has been decided that all candidates scheduled to appear for JEE (Main) in West Bengal on 23 rd January 2026 shall be allotted another date of examination among the advertised dates for JEE (Main) 2026 Session 1 examination. For any queries, candidates may DM @NTA_Helpdesk or write to us at jeemain@nta.ac.in,or contact us at 011-40759000."

The NTA would implement facial biometric authentication during examinations and live photography at the application stage to strengthen exam security across all entrance examinations, beginning with JEE (Mains) in January 2026.

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The move is aimed at curbing impersonation and other malpractices by ensuring real-time identity verification of candidates at multiple stages of the examination process, officials said.

"They will be implementing a facial recognition system during the examination and live photography during the filing of the application," a Source at the Education Ministry said during a media interaction."This will be implemented from January, from JEE (Mains)," the source added. Facial biometric verification confirms a person's identity by analysing unique facial features, such as the distance between the eyes or the shape of the nose, to create a digital template for comparison with stored data, often using AI for analysis.

Meanwhile, a real-time photo capture via webcam or phone is used during online application or exam processes to prevent impersonation. Joint Entrance Examination (Main) 2026, conducted by NTA, is scheduled from January 21 to 30, 2026.

Established in 2017, NTA conducts major entrance examinations, including the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main for engineering; the National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test-Undergraduate (NEET-UG) for medicine; and the CUET for general Undergraduate and Postgraduate programmes in central universities.

These measures are part of the recommendation by the Radhakrishnan Committee, which was constituted following widespread reports of malpractices in the NEET-UG exam, 2024. The government-appointed committee has proposed a significant overhaul of India's entrance exam system, with a focus on digitalisation, security, and streamlining processes.

The seven-member panel, led by former ISRO Chief R. Radhakrishnan, outlined a two-phase plan for reform: Immediate/Short-Term, like restructuring of NTA and Multi-level biometric verification (registration, centre, counselling) and Phase 2 (Long-Term), including "Digi-Exam" Platform: Implement biometric-based digital exams, similar to DigiYatra.To further prevent exam breaches, the committee proposes multi-level biometric verification across registration, test centres, counselling, and admissions. This comprehensive approach aims to create a more secure and tamper-proof testing environment. (ANI)

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