Supreme Court rejects postponement of NEET and JEE Main 2020

Srinagar: The Supreme Court has rejected the plea seeking postponement of NEET and JEE examinations 2020, Hindustan Times reported.

A three-judge bench said that “life has to go on” despite COVID-19 and the court cannot put career of students in peril by interfering with the decision of the National Testing Agency.

“Career of students cannot be put in peril. We find no merit in the petition. The petition is dismissed”, the bench said.

“You (lawyers) have demanded opening of physical courts. But you want exams to be postponed. Postponment of exams is a loss for country,” the bench added.

Petitioner’s lawyer, Alakh Alok Srivastava, said that vaccine for COVID-19 is “on its way” and he is not seeking an indefinite postponment of the exams. But the bench still found no merit in the case.

Another petition praying that NEET and JEE should be held as per schedule, was withdrawn by the petitioner after the court rejected the plea seeking postponement.

Earlier this month, a plea was filed before the Supreme Court by 11 students seeking the postponement of JEE and NEET 2020 exams till the situation due to the COVID-19 pandemic normalizes. The plea sought quashing of National Testing Agency’s (NTA) July 3 notice to hold JEE and NEET in September.

As notified by the NTA, JEE (Main) 2020 exam is scheduled from September 1 to 6 while the NEET-UG 2020 exam is scheduled for September 13.

Earlier, the twin exams in April and May but were later postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

With inputs from Hindustan Times