JEE Main, NEET 2020: Students, parents put pressure on Centre to conduct exams, says Pokhriyal

Amid growing opposition from the several quarters, the National Testing Agency on Tuesday said that it would conduct the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main and the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) as per the schedule. The NEET will be held on September 13 and JEE will be held from September 1 to September 6.

Commenting on Centre's decision to hold the NEET and JEE Main 2020 amid pandemic, education minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank on Wednesday said, “Students and guardians constantly put pressure on us to conduct the examinations."

He further added, "the Supreme Court of India also said that the full academic year cannot be wasted. After two deferments. examination dates have been finalised."

On August 17, the Supreme Court rejected the plea seeking postponement of these exams saying a crucial year of students “cannot be wasted” and life has to go on.

In an interview with DD News, the education minister said that 85% of JEE aspirants have already downloaded their admit cards. Out of 8.85 lakh students who registered for JEE, 7.25 lakh candidates downloaded their admit cards for the examination scheduled in September, Nishank added.

Thousands of students, parents, activists and politicians across the country have been asking for postponement of the two major entrance examinations amid the COVID-19 outbreak.

Any further delay in conducting entrance exams JEE and NEET will have "serious repercussions" on not only the academic calendar but also career of bright students, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi director V Ramgopal Rao said.

"I fail to see how we can run two batches together. It will become a zero academic year for lakhs of students. Our academic calendars are too packed already and linked to too many other things. The delays can impact the careers of so many bright students," he said.

"We have already lost six months. If we conduct the exams in September, we can at least start the sessions in Indian Institutes of Technology (could be online) in December. Tinkering with the examination pattern or admission processes in these times will also be detrimental and unfair for everyone," Rao further added.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee said on Wednesday that states can jointly appeal against Supreme Court order on holding JEE/NEET examinations if the Centre decides not to do so. "This will be my request to all state governments, let us do it together, let us go to Supreme Court and postpone the exams for the time being until and unless the situation allows students to sit for exam (JEE/NEET)," said Banerjee.