NEET Exams, JEE 2020 Postponement: Congress' Nationwide Protests Today Even As HRD Minister Says 'No Rethink On Exams'

JEE 2020, NEET Exams Postponement Congress Protest: Congress has called the government's decisions to hold the JEE 2020 and NEET 2020 exams as 'dictatorial' and the party will hold a pan India protest at 11 am today.

( Representative Image/ PTI)

NEET JEE 2020: Demanding the postponement of the JEE 2020 and NEET 2020 exams mid the coronavirus pandemic, Congress will hold a pan-India protest on August 28 to oppose the government's decision to hold the exams. In a statement AICC general secretary, KC Venugopal said the move is in line with concerted opposition to this "dictatorial move" of the government. Also Read|Edu Minister Defends JEE, NEET Exams By Citing Lakhs Of Admit Cards Downloaded, Students Ask What Options Do We Have? State units of the Congress will be holding protests on Friday at 11 am in front of central government offices at state and district headquarters, he said. In a statement, Venugopal said lakhs of students and parents from across the country are rightfully agitating and demanding postponement of the NEET 2020, JEE Main exams, scheduled to be held in September. Apart from this, the Congress has also decided to organise a massive nationwide online campaign, #SpeakUpForStudentSaftey on the same day from 10 AM onwards. Opposition leaders across the nation have been opposing centre's move to conduct NEET JEE 2020 Standing united with the Congress, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the phone and requested him to postpone NEET and JEE exams keeping in mind the rising cases of coronavirus. Similarly, Chief Minister of Jharkhand Hemant Soren in the evening on Thursday wrote to Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank urging him to postpone the NEET, JEE 2020 exams. Also Read|NEET, JEE Exams: Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik Calls PM For Postponement Of Exams, A Look At Other States Supporting Students View West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee strongly opposed the Centre's move to hold the Jee 2020 and NEET 2020 keeping in view of the rising number of coronavirus cases in the country. CM Mamata has also announced that a complete lockdown in Bengal will be observed on the 11th and 12th of September while the NEET exam has to be conducted on 13th September.  The lockdown includes restriction in transport facility and movement of people which might create a difficulty to hold the NEET 2020 exam, Bihar opposition leader Tejashwi Yadav and Maharashtra government have also opposed the centre's move and have demanded a postponement of NEET exam and JEE 2020 exams. Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Says 'Students Want Exams' Amid the growing chorus for the postponement of NEET-JEE 2020 Exams Union Minister of Education Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ on Thursday defended the Centre’s move to go ahead with the exams. Releasing a video statement, the education minister said that over two-thirds of candidates have downloaded the admit cards which shows that students want these exams to be conducted at any cost. However, he asserted that the Central government won’t let the Congress party spoil students’ future to find relevance. He further added that he has been receiving e-mails from students and parents that these exams should not be further postponed.

 The video statement from the Union Education Minister came a day after the chief ministers of 7 states decided to move the Supreme Court to file a review petition urging the apex court to reconsider its recent order rejecting the postponement of the NEET 2020 and JEE 2020 exams.