Several recruitment exams have already been conducted for induction into the Indian Armed Forces and yet, there is no sign of the CEE 2021 examination. After 2020, Indian Army has postponed the Common Entrance Examination (CEE) 2021 owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. This lack of direction and constant rescheduling has compelled candidates to protest on twitter. The popular micro-blogging site has been flooded with tweets under the hashtag #JusticeForArmyStudents. Here are some pertinent reasons given by candidates to cause this uproar –
Why is #JusticeForArmyStudents Trending?
With over a million tweets on the popular social media platform, the hashtag #JusticeForArmyStudents has been trending due to one reason – uncertainty surrounding the CEE 2021 examination. Previously, the recruitment exam was going to be conducted on November 28, 2021, after much wait and anticipation. However, even this date got rescheduled due to the pandemic. As of now, candidates have been left in the dark with no clarity by the Indian Army.
No CEE Examination Since 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic has introduced several disruptions in the recruitment process. Even then, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) successfully conducted the NDA & NA written exam as well as the Combined Defence Services (CDS) exam. However, the Indian Army has repeatedly postponed the CEE 2021 examination citing pandemic reasons.
As per candidates, the exam has been postponed 6 times in the last 12 months. Last year, they were given a date of September 26 followed by October 31, 2021. Eventually, this date was rescheduled to November 28, 2021. When the country started witnessing a sudden surge in COVID-19 cases, the exam was indefinitely postponed. As of now, authorities have not provided any fixed date.
Candidates facing difficulty Due to Uncertainty
Before appearing for the CEE 2021 written examination, candidates had to undergo a medical exam to ascertain their fitness for Indian Army. A chunk of candidates have already cleared the medical round and are ardently waiting for the exam date. However, for some candidates, time is running out in terms of age.
If the exam gets delayed any further, they will lose out on an opportunity to apply for the exam despite clearing the medical round. Furthermore, Indian Army is unlikely to provide any age-related relaxations. These two reasons are primarily driving the online protest.
What Does the Future Hold?
The CEE 2021 examination has been postponed 6 times in the past 1 year. Hence, it is next to impossible to predict any exam date for this recruitment exam. Apart from COVID-19 pandemic, the Indian Army has not provided any substantial reasons justifying the constant postponement.
Currently, the country is facing a surge in COVID-19 infections in the form of third wave. However, things have started stabilising giving candidates the hope that Indian Army will soon, announce the CEE 2021 examination date. If the situation stabilises further, the exam is likely to be conducted during the February-March 2022 period or post March 2022, to avoid any clash with CBSE board exams.
