NEET-JEE exam row: NSUI hunger strike enters second day, Cong leaders express solidarity

The hunger strike started by the National Student Union of India (NSUI) members demanding postponement of NEET and JEE exams entered second day today. NSUI the student body of the Indian National Congress (INC) began an indefinite hunger strike at the youth Congress office on Wednesday.

Their protest today saw the support of Member Of Parliament Rajeev Satav, he expressed solidarity with NSUI president Neeraj Kunadan and his colleagues who have been sitting on a hunger strike since yesterday and said that the government should not be conducting exams in these difficult times.

Satav, addressing the media said, “NSUI president is relentlessly fighting for the students of the country who do not want to take exams in these difficult times when a pandemic has struck the nation. Many political leaders have contracted COVID19 including several ministers. People are scared from stepping outside their houses. In such situations this decision by the government to conduct exams is wrong. It is not okay to put lives of students in danger. I support the demand of NSUI seeking postponement of NEET and JEE exams.”

However, the National Testing Agency (NTA) which conducts the NEET and JEE exams citing the August 17 order of the Supreme court which ruled for conducting exams saying, “life must go on” has said the exams will be conducted as per schedule.  The NEET and JEE exams will be held next month from September 1 to September 6.

Treading similar paths as Satav Congress national spokesperson Amrita Dhawan said, “we support NSUI’s bid we want that the government postpones NEET and JEE exams considering the pandemic situation in the country.” Meanwhile, Kundan who is helming the strike has refused to seek medical aid after a team of doctors visited the youth Congress office to check upon the health of protestors. “It is not the matter of my health. We are sitting for the health of 25 lakh students. Our fight will continue,” he said.

Notably, NTA has taken several initiatives to ensure safety of students. From providing students with examination centre of their choice to managing the number of shifts, student strength per room, increasing the number of examination centre among others. Over 100 academicians across the nation have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in favour of Conducting exams. They are of the view that already much delay has been caused and that without any postponement NEET and JEE exams should be conducted as per schedule.