"Careers Can't Be Put In Jeopardy: Supreme Court Won't Defer NEET, JEE

The NEET medical entrance exam and the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) for admission into the IITs will be held as per schedule, the Supreme Court said today. "The careers of students cannot be put under jeopardy," the top court said as it dismissed a petition by 11 students to defer the exams due to the coronavirus crisis.

The two exams are scheduled to be conducted in September. "Life cannot be stopped. We have to move ahead with all safeguards and all... Are students ready to waste one whole year? Education should be opened up. Covid may continue for a year more. Are you going to wait another year? Do you know what the loss to the country and peril to the students is?," Justice Arun Mishra, who headed a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court said.

The 11 students from 11 states, who filed the petition, had wanted the authorities be asked to conduct the exams only after normalcy is restored. The students also sought to increase the number of examination centres for NEET and JEE across the country.

Alak Alok Srivastava, the lawyer who represented the students, argued that the students are looking to the top court for relief.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who represented the National Testing Agency (NTA), informed the court that all safeguards will be taken for conducting the exams.

While the JEE is scheduled from September 1 to 6, the NEET exam is scheduled for September 13.