Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Monday supported the students' demand to postpone the National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET) 2020 and the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Replying to a Twitter user who asked for his support, the Thiruvananthapuram MP said, "I do support the request to postpone these examination until it is safe & practicable. I do hope @DrJitendraSingh is listening! #SurakshaBeforePariskha (sic)."
The Twitter user had said that the students are mentally stressed as the government hasn't postponed the exams amid the pandemic. "Respected Sir,govt didn't postpone NEET & JEE.We are mentally stressed.Please sir support us.We don't want to die.You are a sensible person,so I am sure that you will support us. #SurakshaBeforePariksha (sic)," he said.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court will address the case on the postponement of JEE and NEET 2020 examinations today (Monday).
“Conducting the aforesaid examination across India at such perilous time, is nothing else but putting lives of lakhs of young students (including petitioners herein) at utmost risk and danger of disease and death. The best recourse at this stage can be to wait for some more time, let COVID-19 crisis subside and then only conduct these exams, in order to save lives of the students and their parents,” the plea filed through advocate Alakh Alok Srivastava said.
The advocate took to Twitter on Sunday and wrote, "On 3rd July, 6 Lakh COVID cases. So, #NEET #JEE postponed. Today 26 Lakh COVID Cases. Still, NEET JEE not postponed? When Respected @narendramodi Ji has assured that India will soon have COVID Vaccine, why can’t we postpone NEET JEE for few more months? #SurakshaBeforePariksha (sic)."
More than 20 lakh students have reportedly registered for JEE and NEET 2020 examination.
JEE is scheduled from September 1 to September 6. NEET is scheduled for September 13, 2020. The admit cards are expected to be released 15 days ahead of the exam dates.
