Supreme Court refuses deferring JEE-NEET examinations scheduled for September
2 min read 17 Aug 2020, 01:10 PM ISTOn the assurance given by NTA, the court observed that the exams must go on with all protections in place11 students belonging to 11 different states had sought cancellation of the Public notices dated 03 July issued by NTA
PremiumThe Supreme Court on Monday refused the plea for deferment of medical and engineering entrance exams -Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) and the National Entrance Eligibility Test (NEET) in plea seeing directions for postponement and cancellation of the exams scheduled to be held in September.
Solicitor Gerneral Tushar Mehta, representing The National Testing Agency(NTA), assured the court that all necessary precaution will be taken in view of Covid-19 pandemic.
The apex court bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra ordered for the dismissal of the petition and said “Career of students cannot be put under jeopardy for long."
Justice Mishra said "Life cannot be stopped. We have to move ahead with all safeguards and all.... Education should be opened up. COVID may continue for a year more. Are you going to wait another year? Do you know what is the loss to the country and peril to the students."
On the assurance given by NTA, the court observed that the exams must go on with all protections in place.
11 students belonging to 11 different states had sought cancellation of the Public notices dated 03.07.2020 issued by NTA scheduling the examination of JEE (Main) April-2020 between 1st to 6th September, 2020 and NEET UG-2020 on 13th September, 2020. The petitioners contended that there is an alarming spurt of COVID-19 cases in India and in view of which they seeking directions for the NTA to conduct the JEE (Main) April-2020 and NEET UG-2020 only after normalcy is restored in our country, post COVID-19 crisis.
The petition filed through Advocate Alakh Alok Srivastava had alleged that the respondents have arbitrarily overlooked that most of the parents of the affected students are facing utmost financial distress due to reduced financial opportunities amid COVID-19 crisis. In such a situation, further burdening them with the cost of Transportation, Accommodation and Medical Treatment of their wards, for appearing in the captioned examination, is utterly unjust, unfair and unwarranted.
The petitioners had also alleged that the examination conducting body has ignored the plight of lakhs of students belonging to Bihar, Assam and North Eastern States, which are presently witnessing incessant flood and thus conducting online or offline examinations in such places, is not possible.
They had also sought directions to increase the number of Examination Centres of the captioned JEE (Main) April -2020 and NEET UG-2020, so as to provide at least one Examination Centre in every Districts of India
