JEE, NEET to go ahead, SC dismisses plea to postpone exams

The Supreme Court today rejected for the second time a request to postpone the engineering and medical exams JEE (Joint Entrance Exam) and NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test) on account of the coronavirus crisis. This time, six opposition-ruled states had asked the court to review its earlier order and put off the exams for the safety of lakhs of students.

There is no merit in the petition, Justices Ashok Bhu­shan, BR Gavai and Krishna Murari said after considering it in their chambers. "We have carefully gone through the review petitions and the connected papers. We find no merit in the review petitions and the same are accordingly dismissed," said the top court.

The Supreme Court had on August 17 rejected a similar request by 11 students from 11 states.

Maharashtra, Bengal, Punjab, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Puducherry had decided to request the court to reconsider its decision in the interest of students.

The states had claimed that the top court order failed to secure students' "right to life" and ignored "teething logistical difficulties" to be faced in conducting the exams during the Covid-19 pandemic.