In what can be termed as a shot in the arm for the Government facing Opposition flak, over 150 academicians from various universities in India and abroad have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi supporting the conduct of NEET and JEE examinations in the hope that students will not lose a year.

These academicians including professors from Delhi University, IGNOU, Lucknow University, JNU, BHU, IIT Delhi, have said that delaying the medical and engineering entrance exams — JEE-Mains and NEET – any further will mean compromising the future of students.

Indian academicians from foreign universities such as the University of London, University of California, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Ben Gurion University, Israel, among others, also joined them.

“We the members of academic fraternity fully support the government decision to conduct JEE and NEET exams,” they wrote.

Hitting out at the naysayers, the academicians said in their letter, “The dreams and future of our youth and students cannot be compromised at any cost. However, some are trying to play with the future of our students simply to propel their own political agenda and oppose the government.”

“We hope and strongly believe that under your able leadership, the central government will successfully conduct the JEE and NEET exams taking full precautions to ensure that the future of students is taken care of and the academic calendar for 2020-21 is rolled out,” they added.

They said that they “wholeheartedly welcome” the government’s move, while citing the Supreme Court dismissing a petition for postponement of these exams saying that any further delay in conducting the tests would result in waste of precious year for students.

“Youths and students are the future of the nation but in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, clouds of uncertainty have gathered over their careers too. There are lot of apprehensions about admission and classes which need to be resolved at the earliest,” the letter further read.

Like every year, this year too millions of students have passed their Class 12 exams and are now waiting at home to eagerly take the next step, the letter said.

“The government has announced the dates for JEE-Mains and NEET…any further delay in conducting the exams will result in waste of precious year for students,” they said.

Over 14 lakh admit cards for the medical and engineering entrance exams –NEET and JEE– were downloaded after the National Testing Agency (NTA) released them on Wednesday, even as the issue was discussed extensively during a meeting of chief ministers of non-BJP ruled states who decided to jointly move the Supreme Court to seek deferment of these exams.

On Wednesday, Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi held a virtual meeting with the chief ministers of seven states to discuss the issue of JEE and NEET examinations scheduled in September, among others.

The issue, which has been a matter of intense public discourse for the past few months, has evoked contrasting views with many backing the holding of the tests arguing that not doing so would result in a zero academic year for students, while the Opposition and a section of activists and students demanding their postponement in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.

After the meeting, the Congress said that the opposition has decided to move the Supreme Court against the decision of the Central government to go ahead with the NEET-JEE amid the Covid-19 pandemic and flood situation in certain states.

The Congress has also decided to stage protests on Friday morning in front of Central government offices in state and district headquarters protesting against these exams. Reiterating its strong opposition to the same, Congress MP and AICC General Secretary KC Venugopal termed the Centre as “ever insensitive and mindless”.

Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi has also raised the demand to postpone the JEE-NEET taking the concerns of the students into account. The NSUI is also planning an indefinite hunger strike against this “unilateral move” by the Centre.

Calling it a “mindless and dictatorial move of the Central government”, the state units of the Congress have decided to also take its protests online with an organised online campaign, ‘Speak Up For Student Safety’ where videos or posts against this decision will be posted on the party’s different social media handles on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Youtube among others.

While the Joint Entrance Examination (Main) is scheduled from September 1-6, the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET-UG) is planned on September 13. A total of 9.53 lakh candidates have registered for JEE-Mains, and 15.97 lakh students have registered for NEET.

Even after repeated requests from students, the National Testing Agency (NTA) once again on Tuesday said that the examinations will held on the scheduled dates.

The Supreme Court had on August 17 dismissed a petition seeking the postponement of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) and Joint Entrance Examination (JEE), scheduled to be held next month.

Refusing to defer the examinations, the top court said, “The careers of students can’t be put in jeopardy”.

“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.

(With agency inputs)