India Education Headlines: Pariksha Pe Charcha & JEE Key Deadlines February 6, 2026

Feb 6, 2026

India Education Headlines: Pariksha Pe Charcha & JEE February 6, 2026

Published: February 6, 2026

Pariksha Pe Charcha 2026 Today – PM Modi’s Exam Interaction at 10 AM

The Ministry of Education is conducting the ninth edition of Pariksha Pe Charcha (PPC) today, February 6, 2026, at 10 am, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacting with students, parents, and teachers on exam stress and preparation strategies. The programme, conceptualised as an “Utsav” around examinations, aims to help students approach upcoming board and entrance exams with confidence rather than fear. According to the government, this edition has seen record engagement, with more than 4.5 crore registrations through the MyGov portal, reflecting the scale of participation from across India.

The event is being organised not only in Delhi but also through parallel hubs in Coimbatore, Raipur, Dev Mogra and Guwahati, connecting students across regions. Students preparing for CBSE Class 10 and 12 board exams 2026, as well as national entrance tests like JEE Main, NEET UG, CUET UG and CTET, are expected to receive guidance on stress management, time planning, and dealing with parental expectations.

Event Timings and Where to Watch

As per the official press release, PPC 2026 is scheduled for February 6, 2026, at 10 am and will be telecast live on Doordarshan, the Prime Minister’s YouTube channel, and the Ministry of Education’s social media handles (Ministry of Education / PIB – https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2223847). OTT platforms, including Amazon Prime Video, Jio, ZEE5, Sony LIV and WAVES OTT, as well as Spotify (audio), are also streaming the interaction. Education portals such as Shiksha and NDTV are providing live updates and key takeaways for students who cannot watch the full programme in real time.

Why This Matters for Board and Entrance Exam Aspirants

For CBSE board candidates appearing from February 17, 2026, and aspirants of high-stakes exams like JEE Main 2026 Session 1, NEET UG 2026, CUET UG 2026 and CTET 2026, today’s discussion offers practical insights on handling exam pressure and building exam-day discipline. Students are encouraged to note actionable advice on revision strategies, sleep, digital distractions and parental communication, as these are recurring themes in previous editions of PPC. The Ministry of Education has positioned the event as part of a broader push under NEP 2020 to make assessments more holistic and less fear-driven, aligning with parallel reforms such as bi-annual board exams and competency-based question patterns.

JEE Main 2026 Session 1 Answer Key Challenge Window Closes Tonight

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has released the provisional JEE Main 2026 Session 1 answer key along with candidates’ response sheets for the January 21–24 and January 28, 2026 exams. The challenge window for the provisional answer key is open only until today, February 6, 2026, up to 11:50 pm, after which no further objections will be accepted. This makes February 6, 2026, a critical deadline for engineering aspirants who wish to contest any discrepancies before NTA finalises scores and percentiles.

According to detailed guidance from Shiksha and coaching institutes, candidates must log in at the official JEE Main portal, jeemain.nta.nic.in, select “Answer Key Challenge,” and mark the questions they wish to dispute. A non‑refundable fee of Rs 200 per challenged question must be paid online, and supporting evidence (such as textbook references) is strongly advised for each objection. NTA will review all challenges and then release a final answer key, expected around February 12, 2026, which will be used to prepare the JEE Main 2026 Session 1 result.

What Candidates Must Do by February 6, 2026

Students should download both their response sheet and the provisional answer key today, cross‑check each question, and calculate their probable score using the official marking scheme. Any perceived errors should be challenged well before the 11:50 pm cut‑off time to avoid last‑minute payment or server issues. Experts stress that this is the only formal opportunity to correct potential key errors; after the final key is published, no individual communication on accepted or rejected challenges will be sent. Candidates aiming for top NITs, IIITs and eligibility for JEE Advanced 2026 are particularly advised to use this window, as even a small score difference can affect percentile and rank significantly. Official updates are available at https://jeemain.nta.nic.in.

CTET February 2026 Admit Card Released; Exam on February 7 and 8

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has released the admit card for the February 2026 session of the Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET) on February 5, 2026, on the official website ctet.nic.in. The 21st edition of CTET will be conducted on February 7 and 8, 2026, across more than 130–140 cities in offline (pen‑and‑paper) mode. Candidates who completed their application and fee payment can now download the hall ticket by entering their application number and password or date of birth at https://ctet.nic.in.

City intimation slips for CTET February 2026 were issued on January 23, 2026, allowing candidates to know their allotted exam city in advance and plan travel arrangements. As per media reports, more than 27 lakh candidates have registered for this session, similar to recent high‑volume CTET cycles, making it one of the largest teacher eligibility tests globally. The exam will be held in two shifts each day for Paper I (Classes 1–5) and Paper II (Classes 6–8), with a duration of 2 hours and 30 minutes per paper.

Key Instructions for CTET Aspirants Today

Candidates must carry a printed copy of the CTET admit card, a valid photo ID, and any additional documents mentioned in the hall ticket to be allowed entry to the exam centre. CBSE and expert portals have advised candidates to carefully check details such as name, photograph, signature, paper opted, exam date, reporting time, and centre address; any discrepancies should be reported to the CTET helpdesk immediately. Students are also reminded to reach the centre well before reporting time to complete frisking and biometric verification. With the exam scheduled for February 7 and 8, 2026, today (February 6, 2026) is effectively the last full day to print admit cards, revisit CTET syllabus and mock papers, and plan logistics.

CUET UG 2026 Registration Closed Yesterday; Next Up – Correction Window

The National Testing Agency opened online registration for the Common University Entrance Test Undergraduate (CUET UG) 2026 on January 3, 2026, at cuet.nta.nic.in, and recently extended the deadline to accommodate more applicants. As per the official schedule shared through multiple education portals, the last date to submit CUET UG 2026 application forms was extended to February 4, 2026, up to 11:50 pm, with fee payment allowed until February 7, 2026. This means the registration window effectively closed yesterday for new applicants, and late submissions will not be accepted.

The CUET UG 2026 exam is scheduled to be held from May 11 to May 31, 2026, in computer‑based mode across multiple shifts for admission to central universities and participating institutions. According to the CUET 2026 information bulletin, candidates who successfully registered will next be able to use a correction window from February 9 to 11, 2026, to edit select fields in their application forms, such as subject choices and exam cities. Aspirants are advised to keep visiting the official portal https://cuet.nta.nic.in for authenticated updates rather than relying on unofficial links.

What CUET UG Aspirants Should Focus on Today

With registration having closed on February 4, 2026, students should download and securely save their confirmation page, fee receipt, and application number if not already done. Today and the coming days are ideal for reviewing the CUET UG 2026 syllabus, checking the list of participating universities, and shortlisting programmes and domains based on eligibility and past cut‑offs. Candidates should also prepare a list of corrections they may need to make once the February 9–11 correction window opens, particularly if they rushed applications close to the extended deadline. Missing the correction window could lock in errors that affect exam centre allocation or eligibility for specific courses.

CBSE Board Exams 2026: Revised Date Sheet and New Two‑Exam Scheme

CBSE will conduct the Class 10 and Class 12 Board Exams 2026 from February 17, 2026, with written exams running into March and early April. The Board issued a revised date sheet in late December 2025, shifting certain papers originally scheduled on March 3, 2026, to new dates—most notably moving a Class 10 paper to March 11, 2026, and a Class 12 paper to April 10, 2026. Apart from these changes, the overall exam window and the majority of subject dates remain unchanged, and students have been advised to follow only the latest CBSE schedule as hosted on https://cbse.gov.in and shared with schools.

In alignment with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, CBSE is also introducing a two‑exam system for Class 10 from 2026, providing two board exam opportunities in an academic year. As summarised by CBSE’s draft scheme and detailed explainers by Shiksha and Times of India, the main Phase 1 exam in February is compulsory, while an optional Phase 2 exam around May allows students to improve scores in up to three subjects; the best performance per subject will be reflected in the final mark sheet. Additionally, CBSE has confirmed stricter attendance requirements (75% minimum for board eligibility) and a revised competency‑based pattern where approximately 50% of questions will be competency‑based, 20% objective, and 30% short/long answer.

Implications for Students Appearing from February 17, 2026

Students appearing in February–April 2026 must prepare on the full syllabus, as there is no reduced syllabus for either phase of the two‑exam model. The revised exam structure emphasises application‑oriented questions, case studies, and data‑based reasoning, so aspirants should prioritise NCERT understanding and practice with the new‑pattern sample papers released on CBSE’s academic portals. Schools have been asked to monitor attendance closely and complete internal assessments and practical examinations—many of which began in January 2026—well before theory papers start. With date‑sheet tweaks already in place and no indication of further changes as of February 6, 2026, students should treat the current schedule and pattern as final and align revision plans accordingly.

NEET UG 2026: Notification Expected Soon; Registration Likely to Begin in Early February

For medical aspirants, NEET UG 2026 remains one of the most closely watched national exams, and multiple credible education portals indicate that NTA is poised to release the official notification and application form in early February 2026. While the National Testing Agency has not yet announced the exact registration start date on its official site neet.nta.nic.in as of February 6, 2026, trends from the last two years—when NEET forms opened in the first week of February and the exam was held on the first Sunday of May—suggest a similar pattern this year. Most sources converge on May 3, 2026 (first Sunday), as the expected NEET UG 2026 exam date, though candidates must wait for official confirmation in the information bulletin.

Shiksha and other portals report that NTA has already issued advisory notes urging candidates to keep their Aadhaar details, photographs, signatures, and academic documents updated ahead of the application window opening. Several analyses also highlight that NTA is expected to introduce or expand facial recognition features during online registration to enhance verification. The anticipated registration window is likely to run for about four weeks from the opening date, followed by a short correction window in March 2026.

What NEET Aspirants Should Do on February 6, 2026

Even though the NEET UG 2026 application link is not yet activated on neet.nta.nic.in, aspirants should treat this week—and particularly today—as final preparation time for documentation. Students should: (a) ensure their Aadhaar and other ID details exactly match their academic records, (b) arrange category and PwD certificates where applicable, (c) prepare scanned photos and signatures in the prescribed formats, and (d) read the latest NEET UG 2026 syllabus and NTA advisories already hosted online. Given that some portals suggest NTA “is likely to begin NEET 2026 registration from today, i.e. February 6, 2026,” based on past Friday launch patterns, candidates are advised to check https://neet.nta.nic.in and https://nta.ac.in repeatedly through the day and follow only official links once the form goes live.

NTA Exam Calendar 2026: Key National Entrance Dates Students Must Track

The broader NTA exam calendar for 2026, compiled from official releases and leading education platforms, gives students a clear view of this year’s competitive exam landscape. For engineering aspirants, JEE Main 2026 Session 1 has already been held from January 21 to January 30, 2026, while Session 2 is scheduled from April 2 to April 9, 2026. JEE Advanced 2026 is tentatively set for May 17, 2026, subject to confirmation by the organising IIT. For undergraduate admissions via CUET UG 2026, the exam window is from May 11 to May 31, 2026, following the registration phase that concluded on February 4, 2026.

NEET UG 2026 is widely expected to be conducted on May 3, 2026, though this remains tentative until NTA’s official bulletin is released. Other NTA‑conducted exams like NIFT 2026 (February 8, 2026), NCHM JEE 2026 (April 25, 2026) and JIPMAT 2026 (April 2026, tentative) are also mapped in consolidated exam‑calendar resources. For teaching aspirants, CTET February 2026 on February 7–8 sits alongside UGC NET June 2026 and other eligibility tests later in the year.

How to Use the 2026 Calendar Strategically

Students preparing for multiple exams—such as JEE Main, CUET UG and board exams, or NEET UG alongside state entrances—should use the 2026 calendar to backwards-plan revision blocks, mock tests, and application milestones. With some dates (like CUET UG and JEE Main Session 2) falling close to CBSE board exam windows, time management and subject‑wise prioritisation become crucial. Parents and schools can also use the calendar to avoid clashes with school events and to schedule internal tests, practicals, and counselling sessions. Most importantly, students should cross‑verify any date they see in secondary sources with the relevant official websites—nta.ac.in, exam‑specific NTA portals, and CBSE’s official site—before acting on it.