6 Opposition states move Supreme Court , want JEE, NEET deferred

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Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 28

Cabinet ministers from six non-BJP ruled states today filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking a review of its decision giving the go-ahead to holding the JEE and NEET next month.

Will cause 'grave harm'

• Petitioners have urged SC to reconsider Aug 17 decision on conducting exams, saying 'grave harm' will befall on students
• The SC order fails to satisfy safety and security concerns of students appearing for the exams, they say
• SC's twin reasons — 'life must go on' and 'students shouldn't lose academic year' — do not constitute comprehensive judicial scrutiny of issue

The six ministers from Punjab, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal and Jharkhand have sought postponement of the JEE (Main) and NEET-UG scheduled next month. They have filed the petition in individual capacity, their counsel Sunil Fernandes said.

"

Sonia Gandhi, Congress Chief

Hope govt listens

I feel for you (students) because you are now facing a very difficult situation. You are our future. It is important that any decision regarding students' future is taken with your concurrence... I hope the govt listens to you, listens to your voices and acts upon your wishes

"

The petitioners are Balbir Singh Sidhu (Punjab), Moloy Ghatak (West Bengal), Dr Rameshwar Oraon (Jharkhand), Dr Raghu Sharma (Rajasthan), Amarjeet Bhagat (Chhattisgarh) and Uday Ravindra Saman (Maharashtra).

They requested the top court to reconsider its August 17 decision on conducting JEE and NEET, highlighting the fact 25 lakh students would cumulatively appear for the two exams at a time when Covid-19 cases had crossed 3.31 million. They said the decision failed to balance the competing but equally important aspects of conducting the exams and safety of students, i.e. their 'right to life' as mandatory safeguards had not been ensured during the tests. The SC had on August 17 rejected a petition seeking to postpone the exams scheduled in September, saying a precious year of students "can't be wasted".

"Life has to go on... Life has to move ahead. A precious year of students cannot be wasted," a three-judge Bench led by Justice Arun Mishra had said, adding students' career "cannot be put under jeopardy for long".

As per the public notices issued by the National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts the tests, the JEE (Main) April 2020 is scheduled from September 1 to 6, while NEET-UG 2020 is scheduled for September 13.

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