In a positive move for aspiring candidates, IIT Bombay has extended the last date to register for GATE 2021. The new deadline to apply with normal fees is October 7, 2020. Whereas earlier it was September 30, 2020.
As a result the window to apply with a late fee has been pushed back. Those who fail to register within the new deadline can apply by paying a late fee of Rs 500 from October 8 to 12, 2020. Initially this window was supposed to be available from October 1 to 7, 2020.
This extension has overall stretched the application window by 10 days. This is because IITB had started registrations 3 days before time, from September 11, 2020 instead of September 14, 2020. And now the deadline has been pushed by 10 days.
Once the registration process is wrapped up on GOAPS, the portal shall be reopened on October 28, 2020 to change paper, category, city choice. This will also incur for them a fee of Rs 500. This window will close on November 13, 2020. There is no change in the date of release of admit cards which remains January 8, 2021, and exam dates, which are February 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, and 14, 2021.
The official notice on extension of last date of registration mentions that IIT Bombay has taken the step in view of requests from candidates.
Candidates have been reporting through social media, from the past 2 days, about the various problems they are facing while filling the GATE 2021 application form. The most common problems are 504 gateway timeout error, 503 server unavailable.
A 504 gateway timeout error is a server response code which technically specifies the server not getting a response in a given time from the upstream server. This automatically renders the action of the page incomplete. Usually this happens when there is too much load on the server.
Likewise the 503 service unavailable error means that the server is not able to handle the requests due to temporary overloading or server maintenance. In the case of GATE 2021 form, the error is largely anticipated due to several candidates trying to access the server at once.
Both the errors are majorly due to heavy traffic on the website. A common solution that applicants can resort to, is to try to access the website during night time hours when the server usually encounters less load. Otherwise IIT B is expectedly already working on the problem.
A few candidates have also encountered an issue that when they try to click a button on the GATE Online Application Processing System (GOAPS), like the edit button, the click does not happen.
It is expected that now the dates have been extended, candidates will apply over the next few days, instead of everyone trying at once, and server load will thus decrease. As a result the errors shall automatically go away.
Exams like CAT (Common Admission Test), JEE Main September exam had witnessed a dip in registrations due to the pandemic. However the exams such as GATE that are scheduled to be held in 2021 are looking forward to be less affected in terms of registrations.
Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) witnesses applications to the tune of 9-10 lakh every year. Of which over 80% appear in the exams. This year, 2 more subjects have been added, and some PSUs have already announced that they will recruit on the basis of GATE scores.
