JEE Main, NEET 2020: Mamata Banerjee urges Centre to postpone exams 'until situation is conducive'
The TMC supremo said she was vocal about the issue during the last video conference of chief ministers with Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday appealed to the Centre to postpone the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) and the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) due to the prevailing COVID-19 situation.
Aspirants sit for JEE for admission to premier engineering colleges and NEET for undergraduate medical courses.
Banerjee, in a series of tweets on Monday morning, said she was vocal about the issue during the last video conference of chief ministers with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
In our last video conference with the Hon’ble PM Shri @narendramodi Ji, I had been vocal against the UGC guidelines mandating completion of terminal examinations in Universities/Colleges by the end of September 2020, which had a huge potential to put student lives at risk. (1/2)
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) August 24, 2020
Banerjee appealed to the Centre to assess the risk and postpone the examinations until the situation is conducive again.
Now with the directive of @EduMinOfIndia to conduct NEET, JEE 2020 in Sep, I would again appeal to the Centre to assess the risk and postpone these examinations until the situation is conducive again. It is our duty to ensure a safe environment for all our students. (2/2)
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) August 24, 2020
The Supreme Court had dismissed a plea seeking the postponement of JEE (Main) April, 2020 and NEET (Undergraduate) examinations, which are scheduled to be held in September, amid a spurt in COVID-19 cases, saying the precious year of students "cannot be wasted" and "life has to go on".
The JEE (Main) is scheduled to be held between1 and 6 September, while the JEE (Advanced) on 27 September. The NEET will be held on 13 September.
On Friday, Education Ministry officials had said the JEE (Main) and the NEET-UG will be conducted in September as scheduled.