New Delhi (NVI): The Supreme Court today rejected a request by six opposition-ruled states seeking review of the top court’s August 17 order allowing the holding of JEE (Joint Entrance Exam) and NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test).
This is the second time that SC has rejected a request to postpone these exams on account of the coronavirus crisis.
Six non-BJP states- West Bengal, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Punjab, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh had filed a review petition but SC refused to entertain it saying there is no merit in the plea.
Cabinet ministers from these six states had moved SC a week ago claiming 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.
The JEE-Main exam, which was earlier deferred twice in view of the Covid-19 pandemic, is now being conducted from September 1 to 6.
The state governments that approached SC for review of its order had claimed that lakhs of students were unable to take the exam.
However, the SC had refused to interfere with the medical and engineering entrance exams saying “life must go on” and “students can’t lose a precious year due to the pandemic”.
-ARK
