Supreme Court to hear review petition seeking postponement of JEE, NEET on Friday

Six opposition-ruled states -- West Bengal, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Punjab and Rajasthan --approached the top court on August 28 seeking a postponement of the examinations in view of the coronavirus crisis.

The Supreme Court will hear on Friday a review petition filed against its order allowing the central government to hold the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) and Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) in September.

A crucial year of students “cannot be wasted” and “life has to go on”, Supreme Court had said in an earlier order in which it dismissed students’ petition to postpone the exams. (Amal KS/HT PHOTO)

Six opposition-ruled states -- West Bengal, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Punjab and Rajasthan --approached the top court on August 28 seeking a postponement of the examinations in view of the coronavirus crisis.

A crucial year of students “cannot be wasted” and “life has to go on”, Supreme Court had said in an earlier order in which it dismissed students’ petition to postpone the exams.

On August 26, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee had called for a joint opposition meet which was attended by Uddhav Thackeray, Amarinder Singh, Hemant Soren, Bhupesh Baghel and V Narayanasamy.

During the virtual meeting, Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee had suggested approaching the Supreme Court for postponing the exams owing to the prevailing Covid-19 situation.

JEE, which was scheduled from September 1 to 6, is underway and NEET will be conducted on September 13.