The state joint entrance examinations will be held in-person on July 17 for admission to undergraduate courses in engineering, pharmacy and architecture institutes across Bengal.

The Bengal JEE board said they had no option but to conduct in-person exams because the AICTE — the apex body that regulates engineering education in the country — has stipulated that engineering aspirants have to write an entrance test, pen-and-paper or online, to pursue a BTech programme.

The results will be published by August 14. A three-phased centralised online counselling will be held by September 15.

The Class X and XII board exams had earlier been cancelled because of the renewed surge in Covid cases.

“We will hold the exam in-person because of the digital divide,” JEE board chairman Malayendu Saha said.

Compared with the higher secondary exams, much fewer students write the state JEE.

Saha said: “Although Class XII students appear in the test, (the state) JEE will be written by 92,695 candidates. About 10 lakh candidates were to write the (Bengal) HS examinations. Since the number (of JEE examinees) is much lesser, we hope all safety protocols will be adhered to while conducting the test.”

The state JEE had earlier been scheduled for July 11.

“The candidates were given multiple options so they could be assigned centres near home to write the test. Accordingly, they have been allotted centres. So we will be able to conduct the exams,” Saha said.

Since the allocation process is over, centres can no longer be changed, JEE board registrar Dibyendu Kar said.

“The candidates will benefit if the state government allows resumption of public transport,” Saha said.

The engineering entrance exams will be held at 274 centres. Booklets on safety measures will be distributed to those who will be in charge of the centres.

“An elaborate counselling schedule has been drawn up for the convenience of the aspirants. Over the past few years, engineering aspirants were leaving the state to pursue engineering. We earnestly appeal to them that they fully utilise our infrastructure and resources,” he said.

The Telegraph had in November reported that as many as 20,000 of the 34,000-odd engineering seats had remained vacant after admission through centralised counselling by the JEE board.

On Wednesday, the JEE board announced that it would hold 11 other entrance exams, including the undergraduate admission tests of Presidency University.