JEE Main, NEET Row: Congress to hold nationwide protest against conduct of exams amid COVID-19

JEE Main and NEET Exam Date Row update: Raising voice against government’s decision to conduct of JEE Main and NEET UG 2020 exams amid COVID-19 pandemic, the Indian National Congress (INC) is holding a nationwide protest today.

According to reports, the party announced that it will stage protests from 11.00 am today in front of central government offices at state and district headquarters.

JEE Main and NEET Exam Date Row: Here is what party statement says

Congress general secretary KC Venugopal issued a statement and said, “They will oppose the decision of the government to hold these exams during the pandemic. While holding exams during Covid crisis has put students in a state of extreme mental stress, the grim flood situation in states like Assam and Bihar will further put students from those states at a severe disadvantage.”

The protest comes three days after Congress leader Sonia Gandhi had convened a meeting of chief ministers of states ruled by opposition parties.

However, six states and a union territory decided to approach the Supreme Court against the conduct of the exams. This apart, Tamil Nadu government ruled by AIADMK, an ally of BJP, has also requested the central government to delay the exam.

Here is what National Testing Agency (NTA) says

The NTA, the body conducting body, said that the exams are being conducted keeping in mind the interest of the students so that they do not lose an academic year. Any further postponement of exams will put students have government colleges at a disadvantage as private colleges have already started online module.