According to the recent updates, six cabinet ministers from opposition ruled states have jointly signed a review petition in the Supreme Court seeking postponement of JEE Main and NEET.

• The petition is filed by Ministers of West Bengal, Punjab, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand
• The plea has been filed against the Supreme Court’s dismissal of the plea seeking postponement of JEE, NEET 2020 on August 17, 2020.
• Ministers have sought cancellation keeping in mind the safety, security and health of students, logistics involved in holding the test, and balancing health and education of the students.

JEE Main 2020 is scheduled to be held from September 01 to September 06 while NEET 2020 is scheduled on September 13. About 25 lakh students are supposed to appear for the JEE Main and NEET exams this year.

On Friday, the Congress, TMC, JMM and Shiv Sena said that non-NDA leaders had moved the Supreme Court seeking postponement of NEET and JEE amid rising COVID-19 cases. 

The review plea has been filed by WB law minister Maloy Ghatak, Rajasthan health minister Dr Raghu Sharma, Chhattisgarh food minister Amarjeet Bhagat, Jharkhand finance minister Rameshwar Oraon, Maharashtra education minister Uday R Samant and Punjab health minister Balbir Singh Sidhu.

The Ministers have added in their petition that it would be impossible to conduct NEET/JEE Main this year as the provisions include transport and lodging for lakhs of students who would be traveling to their exam centers. 

In a joint online press conference of the parties, Abhishek Singhvi, spokesperson for Congress said that the apex court has not heard any of the grounds made in the review petition. He further added that the petition is different from other petitions that have been dismissed by the Supreme Court. 

Singhvi further added that their review petition seeks only deferment or postponement and not cancellation of the two exams. He referred to the review petition as a constructive, non-negative, non-destructive approach to not cancel the exam but defer them. He said, “ Though a petition has been dismissed by the court in this regard, none of the points raised by us have been discussed by the court earlier. Ours is a petition for deferment and not for cancellation of exams,”

He claimed that the review petition represented 30% of the country’s area and population and they have filed the petition as their duty towards youth and students and in the public interest. 

Singhvi suggested that JEE Main and NEET can be deferred till November and the academic sessions can begin from January. He said that not only the students stand at the risk of getting contracted with the virus but also their families and the public.

The petition was followed by a virtual meeting of Chief Ministers of seven states convened by Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday. 

Also Read: State Governments demand postponement of JEE, NEET 2020.

The petition demanded being presented to the Supreme Court as early as possible otherwise it would be irreparable harm to the student community. 

Derek O’Brien, Trinamool Congress leader, said that conducting the examinations in September would pose serious health hazards for the students, their parents and the staff and their families involved in conducting these exams. 

He said that the issue would come before the Parliament for discussion where all parties will come together on it. He said, “It is very clear that we will be speaking in one voice. The review petition is only one step in that direction. It is beyond politics and it is in the interest of students,”.

Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren said that a number of students won’t be able to take the exams out of fear of contracting COVID or due to the lack of transportation, besides some students might be suffering from health conditions such as asthma and diabetes, thus, making it more dangerous for them to be physically present for the test. 

Singhvi noted that COVID is dormant and people are asymptomatic. He further added that the temperature guns at exam centers would not be enough as safeguards at exam centers that have a density of 1,500 students per center for JEE and 450 for NEET. 

There is a divided opinion of students, faculty and ministers which has now turned into a political movement with the involvement of various leaders. Read for Minister’s views on JEE, NEET 2020.

However, NTA as well as the Union Education Ministry have reiterated that they will be holding the exams as scheduled and would take all the necessary safety steps to conduct JEE and NEET 2020. Read Union Education Minister’s stand on JEE, NEET 2020.