NEET, JEE: NSUI launches hunger strike demanding postponement even as Education Minister talks politics

Demanding postponement of NEET and JEE exams, NSUI president Neeraj Kundan and president of the Delhi wing of the students’ body along with several others went on a hunger strike on Thursday.

The students’ leaders also demanded a fee waiver for six months for students during the pandemic.

Demanding that universities should not hold exams during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the student body had also written a letter last week to the Prime Minister.

Even as it asked the PM to postpone the NEET and JEE exams, NSUI said final year students in colleges should be promoted on the basis of past performance.

Top Congress leaders including Rahul Gandhi have requested the government to defer the all-India medical and engineering entrance examinations taking into consideration the concerns raised by a section of students and parents amid the Coronavirus pandemic.

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia too has appealed to the Central government to cancel the medical and engineering entrance exams.

Meanwhile, Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishak in an interview with The Hindustan Times has claimed that a ‘silent majority’ of the students want the exams to be conducted.

Sharing the interview on the micro blogging site Twitter, Nishank blamed Opposition parties for politicizing the issue.

“It pains to see that education is becoming politicised. I request my colleagues across the political spectrum to abide by the orders of the honourable Supreme Court. Leaving politics aside, I would like to share that a total of 7.41 lakh candidates out of 8.58 lakh appearing for JEE have downloaded admit cards. Only 332 candidates have requested for change of their centre cities, which are being considered positively. In reference to NEET, a total of 6.84 lakh candidates (out of a total of 15.97 lakh) have downloaded the admit cards in the first five hours,” claimed Nishank.