Conducting examinations in India: Emergency, contention and challenges of students amidst covid-19 pandemic

The paper examines ‘exam emergency’ in India through an engaging dialogue of importance, dissension, and contention over conducting all the annual entrance examinations amidst this covid-19 pandemic that have been postponed earlier due to nationwide lockdown. Drawing on the pre-exam living experiences, this paper presents the challenges and problems of student communities and the insecurities of their mental and physical health risks while they are preparing and appearing for their scheduled entrance tests. The paper finds no concrete attempt of negotiations from the authorities to channel majoritarian concerns. The lack of preparation from government and exam authorities to facilitate students in this crisis period has finally made many to fail writing their exam papers and left them behind with unfulfilled dreams.