Dismissing the pleas jointly filed by ministers from six non-BJP-ruled states, the Supreme Court today, on September 4, announced that the engineering and medical examinations JEE (Joint Entrance Exam) and NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test) will be held as per the schedule.

The JEE started on September 1 and the NEET exam is to be held on September 13.

The apex court rejected the request made for the second time to postpone the examinations amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Six opposition-ruled states – Maharashtra, Bengal, Punjab, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Puducherry had asked the court to review its earlier order and defer the examinations considering the gravity of the ongoing coronavirus crisis.

The ministers of these states sought a review of the court order on August 17 refusing to entertain a petition filed by students to postpone the NEET and the JEE, saying that COVID-19 is unpredictable and may continue for a year more, reported The Hindu.

The court had earlier rejected the plea filed by 11 students from 11 states. They had said lakhs of students should not fall prey to the Centre’s ‘knee-jerk and haphazard’ plans, which would prove worse than the disease itself.

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