Akhilesh Yadav backs demand to defer JEE, NEET amid Coronavirus

LUCKNOW: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday spoke out against the conduction of Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) and National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) in the middle of Covid-19 pandemic.

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has announced that the JEE (Main) will be held from September 1 to 6 and NEET (UG) on September 13.

Yadav asserted that exams amid the Covid-19 outbreak will put the lives of lakhs of students' at risk.

On Wednesday, taking part in a discussion through video conferencing with Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and chief ministers of some states, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee had said that opposition-ruled states such as Maharashtra, Punjab, West Bengal, Jharkhand should collectively approach the Supreme Court for deferring NEET, JEE Main exams to be held next month. She also mentioned that she had raised her concerns over the same issue with the Prime Minister.

"The exams are in September. Why should the lives of students be put at risk? We have written to the Prime Minister, but there has been no response. If the Prime Minister does not listen to us, then we all (states) collectively should approach the Supreme Court," she had said.