Mumbai: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay has issued travel passes for the candidates appearing for the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) 2021 on Saturday in view of the nationwide blockade called by the farmers’ unions protesting government’s new farm bills. Candidates have been issued special certificates enabling their travel on the day, reported Hindustan Times.
Farmers are protesting the new farm laws around the national capital region and have called for a nationwide chakka jam or road blockade on Saturday. The farmers said they will block the national and state highways for three hours (12 pm to 3 pm) on Saturday to voice their dissent on the protestors’ harassment.
Coincidentally, GATE will begin at 9.30 am on the same day and will be held in morning and afternoon sessions. GATE is an entrance test for undergraduates and graduates for admissions to masters and PhD programmes of technology institutes such as Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and Indian Institutes of Science (IISc).
The GATE score is also a qualifier for public sector undertaking placements. Qualification in the exam is also mandatory for seeking financial assistance from the Ministry of Education (MoE) and other government scholarships/assistantships.
“The GATE 2021 office has prepared a special certificate requesting all concerned to allow you to pass through any blockade that you may face on your way. These certificates have been emailed to all those who have the exam on 6th (February). Please take a print out of this document and carry with you while travelling,” said IIT-Bombay director Subhasis Chaudhuri was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times. IIT Bombay is organising the examination this year.
“Though in the admit card, instructions’ point number 12 already says that admit card can be used as a movement pass in case of any restrictions, to add to that, this additional support letter is issued to whom so ever it may concern, in both English and Hindi to ease the movement of candidates to their exam locations,” said organising chairperson and professor at IIT-Bombay, Deepankar Choudhury.
The first session will be held between 9.30 am and 12.30 pm, while the afternoon session is from 3 pm to 6 pm. “In view of the possibility of transport blockade on February 6, all GATE candidates are requested to arrive at the exam centre well ahead of time. Please carry sufficient food and water in case you need to arrive much earlier or reach home late,” Chaudhuri wrote in a social media post.
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