The Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main and National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (NEET) will not be postponed, the Supreme Court said today as it dismissed a petition seeking deferment of the entrances. Advocate Alakh Alok Srivastava argued the case on behalf of 11 students who had moved the top court seeking relief amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Now that the plea has been rejected, both the entrance exams will be held as per schedule. The engineering entrance is scheduled to take place from September 1 to September 6 while the medical entrance is slated for September 13.
"Supreme Court asked the government and they said they want to conduct exams by following all safety guidelines. The government must take a call now. Will follow up with President and PMO," Anubha Shrivastava Sahai, President of the India Wide Parents' Association, told India TV Digital.
SEQUENCE OF EVENTS: WHAT HAPPENED IN SUPREME COURT TODAY
- Justice Arun Mishra says there are two petitions. One seeking conduct of the exams and another seeking postponement.
- 'Life should move on even in COVID-19 times. Can we just stop exams? We should move on': Justice Arun Misra on a plea seeking postponement of JEE/NEET
- 'If exams are not held, won't it be a loss to the country? Students will lose the academic year', Justice Arun Mishra says.
- 'Are you not demanding that Courts should re-open? Why can't exams be held with precautions?", Justice Arun Mishra asks Advocate Alakh.
- Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for NTA, says that exams should be conducted, and adequate precautions will be taken.
- How can you assume that the authorities are not aware of the situation?', Justice Arun Mishra ask advocate Alakh
- Advocate Alakh says that there is a chance of vaccine coming soon for COVID-19. Even the Prime Minister said about it in his August 15 speech. Not seeking an indefinite postponement of the exam, but a postponement for some time, he submits.
- SC dismisses the petition. Says the postponement of the NEET/JEE will put the 'career of students in peril'. Says, there is no ground to interfere with policy decisions.
The petition had sought postponement of JEE Main and NEET exams. It favoured holding the exams "only after normalcy is restored in the country post-COVID crisis. It also pressed for fresh opportunities to JEE and NEET aspirants to submit their application forms and choose exam centers afresh.
The plea mentioned that the NTA decided to conduct JEE through online mode and NEET offline at 161 centres across India, which are "utterly arbitrary, whimsical and violative of fundamental rights to life of lakhs of the affected students."
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