Greta Thunberg calls for postponing JEE and NEET, says deeply unfair for Indian students to sit in national exams during COVID-19
New Delhi: Swedish teen climate activist Greta Thunberg on Tuesday said it is deeply unfair for Indian students to sit for national exams amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
She said millions have been affected due to floods in states like Bihar, Gujarat and Assam and called for the postponement of NEET 2020 and JEE Main 2020 entrance exams.
“It’s deeply unfair that students of India are asked to sit national exams during the COVID-19 pandemic and while millions have also been impacted by the extreme floods. I stand with their call to #PostponeJEE_NEETinCOVID,” the 17-year-old activist tweeted.
It’s deeply unfair that students of India are asked to sit national exams during the Covid-19 pandemic and while millions have also been impacted by the extreme floods. I stand with their call to #PostponeJEE_NEETinCOVID
— Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) August 25, 2020
Her statement came in the wake of the Education Ministry finalising the date for the Joint Entrance Examination (Main) and the National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (NEET-UG). JEE-M which was initially meant to be held in April has been postponed to September, as has been the NEET exam which was delayed twice due to rising cases of coronavirus across the country.
The National Testing Agency (NTA) has announced that JEE will be held from September 1 to 6 and NEET on September 13. This comes amid demands from students and parents to postpone the entrance exams in view of the surge in COVID-19 cases.
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Several political leaders in India have also called for the postponement of JEE and NEET till the situation becomes conducive to hold the exams.
The Education Ministry has maintained it will not postpone the JEE and NEET exams, both of which are scheduled to be held in the first half of September. Petitions on the subject were also dismissed by the Supreme Court which said “life cannot be stopped”.
On August 17, the Supreme Court dismissed a petition seeking the postponement of the NEET and JEE scheduled to be held in September.