Following an online meeting with the Chief Ministers of opposition-ruled states, the Congress on Wednesday announced it will hold protests across the country on Friday against the Centre’s move to push ahead with the all-India entrance exams for engineering and medical courses – JEE and NEET exams, amid the coronavirus crisis. Congress general secretary KC Venugopal said in a statement, “In line with concerted opposition to this mindless and dictatorial move of the central government, Congress will be holding protests on Friday at 11 am in front of central government offices at state and district headquarters. They will oppose the decision of the government to hold these exams during the pandemic.”

“While holding exams during Covid crisis has put students in a state of extreme mental stress, the grim flood situation in states like Assam and Bihar will further put students from those states at a severe disadvantage,” Venugopal said.

During the meeting, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee suggested they should jointly go to the Supreme Court and seek to defer holding the exams.

The centre has said it has decided to hold the exams based on feedback from parents and students, who do not want to lose the academic year. The National Testing Agency that conducts key entrance exams in the country has also backed the centre’s decision as an attempt “to save one academic year”.

The NTA said if the entrance exams are postponed further, they will put students of government colleges at a disadvantage as against private college students who do not need to appear for competitive exams and have already started an online module.

Source: NDTV

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