Kolkata, Aug 25 (UNI) A day after dashing off a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi
to postpone the JEE and NEET examinations due to the prevailing COVID-19 situation,
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday wrote another letter, seeking
his intervention and urging him to make an appeal in the Apex Court to review its decision
in the interest of the student community so that they are free from mental agony and
mental disaster.
" I would like to request for your kind intervention and to consider the central government
making an appeal in the Apex Court to review its decision in the interest of the student
community so that they are free from mental agony and mental disaster, " she noted.
In the letter, she urged Mr Modi to appreciate the sensitivity of the matter and consider
taking necessary action for postponing these exams until the public health situation
becomes conducive again.
" I had requested you to kindly postpone the NEET and JEE Examinations in
September 2020. I have explained in the letter that the examinations will pose
grave health risks to the examinees, " she said in the letter.
" I had reminded you that, earlier, I had also requested you in my letter dated 11th July,
2020 to postpone all terminal examinations in universities/colleges across the country
and to follow the first guidelines issued by UGC in this regard, " she added.
" Indeed, I have been consistently arguing that the current pandemic situation is an
unprecedented crisis in the country and we should not put any life in jeopardy during
this pandemic period by taking such decisions. Today our Government has received a
letter from the National Testing Agency for conducting the JEE/NEET examinations
starting from 1st September, 2020. We are really worried and concerned, " the Chief
Minister stated.
" I am aware that the Hon’ble Supreme Court has given a verdict On holding of
JEE/NEET examinations and the Central Government has been issuing instructions
to go ahead with it accordingly. "
" However, I would like to request for your kind intervention and to consider the
Central Government making an appeal to the Hon’ble Apex Court to review its
decision in the interest of the student community, so that they are free from mental
agony and mental disaster, " Ms Banerjee further said.
" Such intervention is very much essential in the larger interest of the students to
facilitate creating a situation whereby the students will neither be subjected to grave
health risk nor they will be facing a career risk. "
" I would request you to kindly appreciate the sensitivity of the matter and consider
taking necessary action for postponing these examinations until the public health
situation becomes conducive again, " she signed off.
On Monday, Ms Banerjee also wrote a letter to Mr Modi to postpone the examinations,
slated for September.
In the letter, Ms Banerjee said the directive from the Education Ministry to hold the
NEET, JEE Main 2020 in September is a gravely risky decision.
"We are proud of our students. They are talented in these areas. On the one hand,
COVID-19 pandemic is going on and the student community on the other hand is
suffering a lot from mental agony and depression," she wrote in her letter.
Keeping these developments in mind, she urged Mr Modi to reconsider the decision
taken by the Education Ministry and ensue that students are not deprived of the
opportunity to appear for the examination.
"It is our duty as elders to ensure as safe public environment for all our students of
the country," she stated in the letter.
Earlier, Ms Banerjee reiterated her appeal to the Centre to assess the risk and
postpone NEET and JEE 2020 in September until the situation is conducive again.
Taking to her twitter handle, Ms Banerjee said, " In our last video conference with
the Hon’ble PM Shri @narendramodi Ji, I had been vocal against the UGC guidelines
mandating completion of terminal examinations in Universities/Colleges by the end
of September 2020, which had a huge potential to put student lives at risk. "
" Now with the directive of @EduMinOfIndia to conduct NEET, JEE 2020 in Sep,
I would again appeal to the Centre to assess the risk and postpone these
examinations until the situation is conducive again, " she iterated.
" It is our duty to ensure a safe environment for all our students, ' the Chief Minister
stated.
UNI SJC-PC-BM