SC to hear review petition on order rejecting NEET-JEE postponement on September 4

A Supreme Court bench comprising Justices Ashok Bhushan, BR Gavai and Krishna Murari will hear on Friday a review petition on the order rejecting the pleas seeking postponement of the JEE and NEET exams. The hearing shall be conducted in the judges' chamber. The review plea was filed by West Bengal Law Minister Moloy Ghatak, Jharkhand Finance Minister Rameshwar Oraon, Rajasthan Health Minister Raghu Sharma, Chhattisgarh Civil Supplies Minister Amarjeet Bhagat, Punjab Labour Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu, and Maharashtra Higher and Technical Education Minister Uday Samant.

As per the plea, the apex court's order failed to secure the safety, security, and right to life of students appearing for the JEE and NEET exams. Moreover, it contended that the SC had ignored the logistical difficulties in conducting the exams on the scheduled dates. While the JEE Main exam has commenced on September 1, the NEET examination will take place on September 13. 

Read: NEET, JEE Exams: Railways To Run 5 Pairs Of Special Trains In UP To Facilitate Students

What is the SC verdict?

In its judgment dated August 17 on a bunch of pleas, an SC bench of Justices Arun Mishra, BR Gavai, and Krishna Murari ruled that there was "no justification" whatsoever for the JEE and NEET exams to be postponed. While acknowledging the COVID-19 situation, the bench stressed that "life has to go on". It held that the career of students cannot be put in peril for long and that a full academic year cannot be wasted. The apex court also took into account Solicitor General Tushar Mehta's submission that the exams shall be conducted with due precaution.

Read: NEET-JEE Row: Subramanian Swamy Demands Statewise Percentage of Students Taking Exam

NTA's social distancing measures

The National Testing Agency had assured all the students of a safe environment in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis. It observed that over 99% of the candidates in both exams had got their first choice of centre cities. Additionally, the number of exam centres for JEE Main has been increased from 570 to 660. On the other hand, the NEET exam will now be conducted in 3843 centres instead of 2546 centres. In the case of JEE Main, the number of candidates per shift has been reduced from 1.32 lakh to 85,000.

While the candidates for JEE Main shall be seated in alternate seats, the number of candidates per room in the NEET exam will be 12 instead of 24. Furthermore, the entry and exit of candidates shall be staggered. The candidates have also been issued an advisory on proper social distancing. Also, the NTA wrote to the state governments for ensuring that the candidates are able to reach their exam centres on time.

Read: 'Only 25% In State Appeared For JEE Exam Due To COVID-19': Mamata Banerjee Slams Centre