Pokhriyal says ministry has received many emails in support of JEE Main and NEET September schedule

Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal said today that the ministry has received emails from many parents and students in support of the conducting the exams in the month of September and not postponing them further. The minister said, “Parents and students through email and social media have said that the exams should be conducted in September,” reports NDTV.

The minister’s statement did not have any supporting figures as to the number of emails that the ministry has received. The JEE Main exam is scheduled to be conducted from September 1 to September 6, and NEET UG 2020 exam is scheduled for September 13.

Meanwhile, students and parents have been flooding the social media demanding postponement of the exams amidst the COVID-19 situation in India. Supreme Court has already allowed NTA to conduct the exam in September and the agency has released SOPs with regard to the COVID-19 precautions it has in place to safeguard the students.

Students have said that due to lack of adequate exam centres in some states will make it difficult to maintain physical distancing. Students have also said that some of them have to travel around 500 kilometres to reach the centre which will be difficult due to the lack of adequate means of commuting due to lockdowns in place.

Almost all opposition parties have been unanimous in their demand to postpone the exam with a few states contemplating approach the Supreme Court again. West Bengal CM Mamta Banerjee said, “Let us go to the Supreme Court. Let us talk about this matter. This is a mental agony for the students. I have not seen so many atrocities in a democracy. We have t o speak up for the children.”

NTA has clarified that the exams will be conducted as per the schedule and safety of students will be of utmost priority. NTA will be increasing the number of exam centres and will accommodate fewer students in a room to maintain physical distancing during the exam. Along with it staggered entry and exit strategy will be implemented and alternate seating arrangements will be made.