JEE Main-NEET: Students Go on Day-Long Hunger Strike, demands Postponement of Exams

Over 4,200 students observed the day-long hunger strike at their respective home demanding that entrance exams such as the UGC-NET, CLAT, NEET and JEE be postponed.

Shivani Arora
Published on: 24 Aug 2020 5:42 AM GMT
JEE Main-NEET: Students Go on Day-Long Hunger Strike, demands Postponement of Exams
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JEE Main-NEET: Students Go on Day-Long Hunger Strike, demands Postponement of Exams

Even after the Supreme Court has denied any postponement of the engineering and medical exams – JEE Main and NEET. The debate is still on on holding the entrance exams during the COVID-19 pandemic. The chorus for postponing various examinations, including NEET 2020 and JEE Main, grew louder on Sunday with over 4,000 students observing a day-long hunger strike to press for the demand in view of rising COVID-19 cases.

The protest came on a day Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the government must listen to the 'mann ki baat' of students and arrive at "an acceptable solution" and his party demanded that the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test, NEET 2020 and the Joint Entrance Examination, JEE Main Exam be deferred.

Rahul Gandhi:

In a tweet, Gandhi said the central government must to listen to ‘students’ ke mann ki baat’ and arrive at an acceptable solution.

https://twitter.com/RahulGandhi/status/1297388296025251841

The Supreme Court order has led an online campaign for postponing the engineering and medical exams – JEE Main and NEET – during the COVID-19 pandemic. On Twitter, several politicians have joined the debate under the trending hashtags #SATYAGRAH_AgainstExamsInCovid and #StudentsKeMannKiBaat.

ALSO READ: JEE Main 2020 Admit Card Released at jeemain.nta.nic.in, Download now

Hunger Strike:

According to the leftist All India Students Association (AISA), over 4,200 students observed the day-long hunger strike at their respective home demanding that CBSE compartment exams of Classes 10 and 12 be cancelled and entrance exams such as the UGC-NET, CLAT, NEET and JEE be postponed.

Using the hashtag, SATYAGRAHagainstExamInCovid, many students also took to Twitter to appeal to the government to heed to their demands. Manoj S, a JEE aspirant from Karnataka, said, "We have to report to the JEE Main Exam centre at 7 am. My centre is almost 150 kilometres away and there are no train or bus services available currently.

ALSO READ: JEE Main-NEET: Rahul Gandhi joins #StudentsKeMannKiBaat, says Centre must listen to Students

The AISA lent solidarity to the demands of the students.

A day ago, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had appealed to the central government to cancel medical and engineering entrance exams JEE and NEET in view of the COVID-19 situation. He also said an alternative admission methodology should be used this year and the exams should not be conducted.

https://twitter.com/msisodia/status/1297163288623505408

ALSO READ: UGC Vs Students: SC To Announce Verdict Soon on Final Year Exams

India's COVID-19 tally sprinted past the 30-lakh mark on Sunday, just 16 days after it crossed 20 lakh. While 22,80,566 people have recuperated in the country so far pushing the recovery rate to 74.90 per cent, according to the Union Health Ministry data.

NTA:

The National Testing Agency (NTA), however, has already released the admit cards for JEE Main scheduled to begin from September 1. As per the official data, a total of 8,58,273 students have registered to appear for JEE Main. While nearly 16 lakh had registered to appear for NEET. Concerns have been raised over holding exams for such a large number of students amid the pandemic.

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Shivani Arora

Shivani Arora

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