Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said that the National Testing Agency (NTA) has arranged an alternative examination date for candidates in West Bengal scheduled to appear for the JEE Main 2026, Session I examination on January 23.
“Earlier, the Government of India and the National Testing Agency had scheduled the Joint Entrance Examination on January 23, which happens to be Netaji’s birthday and Saraswati Puja, which students are expected and habituated to observe with respect. This put our students into difficulty, and I intervened to protest and seek a change,” Banerjee wrote in a post on X. She further said that following her intervention, the Government of India and the NTA had arranged an alternative examination date for students in the state, allowing them the opportunity to pray to Goddess Saraswati on the day.
Confirming the decision, the NTA said in a post on X: “In view of the representations received from candidates in the state of West Bengal regarding the celebration of Saraswati Puja on 23rd January 2026, it has been decided that all candidates scheduled to appear for JEE (Main) in West Bengal on 23rd January 2026 shall be allotted another date of examination among the advertised dates for the JEE (Main) 2026 Session-I examination.”
The agency also advised candidates to contact the NTA helpdesk through official communication channels for further queries. January 23 marks the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and also coincides with Saraswati Puja in Bengal. Apart from Banerjee, Union minister of state for Education and development of the North Eastern region, Sukanta Majumdar, had also written to senior officials of the NTA.
In his letter, Majumdar pointed out that public gatherings, institutional closures and logistical constraints on the day could cause considerable inconvenience to candidates and requested that the examination be postponed or rescheduled in the state. Following the NTA’s announcement. Majumdar’s office said the decision was taken after his representation. Earlier, the state Education department had written to the NTA seeking an alternative date, stating that it would be extremely difficult to conduct examinations in educational institutions serving as test centres on a day when Saraswati Puja is widely celebrated. The department noted that students and teachers are closely involved in Puja-related activities and cultural programmes.