Last year the NEET was conducted on September 13, despite fervent protests from the opposition and amid strict precautions in view of the pandemic.
New Delhi: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday lambasted the government for being “blind to the distress of students” and refusing to postpone the NEET, which is scheduled for September 12.
In a short but concise tweet, Mr. Rahul Gandhi said: “The Government of India is blind to the distress of students. Postpone the NEET exam. Give them a fair chance.”
On Monday, the Supreme Court rejected NEET’s postponement requests because this year’s date conflicted with other reviews; the court said he did not want to interfere with the exam process and that it would be “very unfair” to the majority of students if he had to postpone the Exam.
At yesterday’s hearing, the petitioners – several of whom were students – argued that the NEET date clashed with other exams, including those of the compartment exams for CBSE students.
The court was not impressed, especially when it was pointed out that more than 16 lakh students participate in NEET each year, and said it could not postpone the exam on the plea of a few students.
“The arguments you (the petitioners’ lawyer) are asking may not be relevant for 99% of the candidates. For 1% of the candidates, the whole system cannot be put on hold,” a bench led by the judge AM Khanwilkar and including Judge Hrishikesh Roy and Judge CT Ravikumar stated.
Lawyer Shoeb Alam, representing the petitioners, argued that around 25,000 students were required to sit for further or compartment exams for class 12.
“If you have to take more than one exam, you have to make a choice,” the court said. “You must prioritize… must also be aware that any postponement is likely to conflict with another review.”
Mr. Gandhi also criticized the decision to organize the NEET (national eligibility and entry test) and the JEE (joint entrance exams) last year; that was when daily Covid cases surpassed the 85,000 marks.
At the time, he said student safety could not be compromised due to government “failures”.
Last year, the NEET took place on September 13 amid strict pandemic precautions. A total of 13.66 lakh candidates sat for the exam, of which about 7.7 lakh qualified.
Prior to NEET 2020, Congress and other major opposition parties protested the holding of contests as Covid cases were at their peak. Besides Mr. Gandhi, party leader Sonia Gandhi also spoke out, asking the government to “listen” to students and their concerns.
The center defended its decision to hold the exams, saying it was the result of “constant pressure from parents and students” worried about the academic and professional future.
To minimize the risk of coronavirus infection, students appearing for JEE and NEET were asked to wear masks and gloves, and take a personal water bottle and hand sanitizer to exam centers.
