“Are exams more important than the lives of the students?” Aspiring candidates for the JEE (Mains)/NEET (UG) examination are up in arms against the Centre’s decision to hold the competitive exams in September despite the health risk posed by the pandemic and the floods. Social media is abuzz with angsty messages against the government.
The National Testing Agency, which responsible for conducting exams, has issued a set of guidelines for the 8.58 lakh candidates.
The protests ensued soon after the Supreme Court ruling, wherein the bench said, “We find that there is absolutely no justification in the prayer made for postponement of the examination in question relating to NEET UG 2020 as well as JEE (Main) April, 2020.”
Why Students are Protesting against NEET/JEE
The parents and students are anxious over the spurt in coronavirus cases. With 3.23 million cases and 59,449 deaths, there is palpable fear over contracting the virus as social distancing norms won’t be adequately met. Candidates are set to hold a protest on Thursday 8am onwards to “raise black flags from homes, tie black bands on arm or forehead, wear black masks, turn their profile pictures black!”
Gajendra Babu, an education activist in Tami Nadu, said, “Education has nothing to do with examination in any case, the fact that the government is not moving from the decision to hold NEET/JEE means for the government education is market.”
Social Distancing Ensured by NTA
The NTA has issued several instructions and guidelines to ensure safety- the number of examination centres has increased from 570 to 660 (in case of JEE Main) and 2,546 to 3,843 (in case of NEET (UG) 2020).
JEE (Main) is a computer-based test and the number of shifts has been increased from the 8 to 12. The number of candidates per shift has been reduced from 1.32 lakh to 85,000. They will be following alternate seating arrangements to ensure social distancing. For NEET (UG), a pen paper-based test, the number of candidates per room has been reduced from 24 to 12. These measures have been taken to ensure social distancing. Besides, the entry and exit of candidates will be staggered outside the examination hall.
Fighting Covid with exams?
The worry of the academics and government is if the exams get postponed it will become a “zero academic year for lakhs of students”, and have serious repercussions on academic calendar, which may jeopardise their future.
The director of IIT Delhi, V Ramgopal Rao, on Facebook urged students to not get deterred by Covid-19. “It will become a zero academic year for lakhs of students. Let’s become responsible and let’s all do our best by adjusting to this new normal. Covid can stay, careers can’t wait. We cannot be perpetually in lockdown mode. Covid is not going to go away for another six months to one year,” Rao said.
According to the Minister of Education, Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, out of 858,000 students, 725,000 students have downloaded the admit cards. The NTA has also assured that more than 99% candidates will get their first choice of center cities in both of these examinations.
Enter Politics
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, expressing her cause of worry. Banerjee and Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi virtually met other non-BJP state leaders over the demand of postponement of the examinations. The two leaders have been in a bid to mobilise support against the union government that ruled out students’ cry for postponement of exams this year.
On Tuesday, Banerjee wrote, “I am aware that the Supreme Court has given a verdict on holding of JEE and NEET examinations and the Central government has been issuing instructions to go ahead with it accordingly. However, I would like to request your kind intervention and to consider the Central government making an appeal to the apex court to review its decision in the interest of the student community.”
In another letter, DMK chief MK Stalin wrote to Pokhriyal saying, “No decision shall be made in haste putting lives of students at stake. Government shall act keeping the well-being and future of students in mind. I request you to postpone JEE, NEET exams until #COVID19 is brought under control.”
Meanwhile, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia has also appealed to the Centre for the cancellation of medical and engineering entrance exams JEE and NEET in view of the COVID-19 situation. He gave the option of having an alternative admission methodology.
Greta Thunberg’s Global Intervention
The movement for postponement of two competitive examinations reached Sweden’s teen environmentalist Greta Thunberg. She posted on Twitter expressing anger over the government’s decision to hold the examination during the pandemic. “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, (SIC)” she tweeted. Her post was widely shared by Indian students, who found an international sympathiser and support. Some tweeted her name in the same line calling to join Mamta, Sonia, Greta, against JEE/NEET.
Encouraging all to unite against the Indian government’s decision, global activist Vanessa Nakate, founder of The Rise Up Movement and 1 Million Activi1 tweeted: “There is hope, dear friends, don’t give up yet. Keep tweeting, retweeting and using hashtags – #ModiActNow #PostponeJEENEET_Today and #PostponeJEE_NEETinCovid.”
Eight-year-old global activist, Licypriya Kangujam, too, shared the news of Sonia Gandhi meeting seven chief ministers.
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