NEET, JEE Row LIVE Updates: Date Reconsideration Maybe on Cards as Students Plan Protests from Home Tomorrow

Chorus for Postponing NEET, JEE Grows | The chorus for postponing various examinations, including NEET and JEE, grew louder on Sunday with over 4,000 students observing a day-long hunger strike to press for the demand in view of rising COVID-19 cases.

Tamil Nadu Sees Drop in Students' Enrolment for NEET 2020 | The enrollment of candidates for the National-Eligibility-Cum-Entrance Test (UG) from Tamil Nadu this year has seen a significant drop. The state-wise distribution of candidates and centres shared by the National Testing Agency (NTA) on Tuesday shows there were 1,34,714 candidates in 188 centres last year whereas there are 1,17,990 candidates in 238 centres this year. Read more here.

Aaditya Thackeray Writes to PM Modi on Exams | Maharashtra cabinet minister Aaditya Thackeray on Monday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking postponement of university-level examinations as well as those of professional courses in view of the COVID-19 pandemic. Aaditya Thackeray, son of Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, himself tweeted the letter written on letter head of his party Shiv Sena, which heads the MVA government in the state. Read more here.

Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg offered unlikely support for Indian students amid a growing chorus to postmone NEET and JEE-Mains exams amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Meanwhile, Students Continue Online Protest Against Exams | Students continue to demand the postponement of NEET, JEE exams on microblogging site Twitter, with '#PostponeJEE_NEETinCOVID' and '#AntiStudentModiGovt' and #HungerStrikeforStudentsSafety' tags trending.

#PostponeJEE_NEETinCOVID pic.twitter.com/2vAbvXaryM

— Ashutosh Sharma (@Ashutos22886153) August 26, 2020

Subramanian Swamy Wants NEET, JEE Postponed | Rajya Sabha member and BJP National Executive member Subramanian Swamy said today - "Does government realise holding NEET /JEE exams at this juncture favours the children of rich parents in major cities? In the last 5 months the poor and lower middle class children have had no access to internet or ability to go to libraries or collective study. PM can empathise!"

Does government realise holding NEET /JEE exams at this juncture favours the children of rich parents in major cities? In the last 5 months the poor and lower middle class children have had no access to internet or ability to go to libraries or collective study. PM can empathise!

— Subramanian Swamy (@Swamy39) August 25, 2020

Banerjee on Tuesday requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the Centre should appeal against the Supreme Court order for holding the JEE and NEET examinations during the COVID-19 outbreak to…

Greta Thunberg Calls Exams 'Unfair' | "It’s deeply unfair that students of India are asked to sit national exams during the Covid-19 pandemic and while millions have also been impacted by the extreme floods. I stand with their call to #PostponeJEE_NEETinCOVID," environmental activist Greta Thunberg tweeted.

It’s deeply unfair that students of India are asked to sit national exams during the Covid-19 pandemic and while millions have also been impacted by the extreme floods. I stand with their call to #PostponeJEE_NEETinCOVID

— Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) August 25, 2020

Young Climate Activist Calls for Postponement | Licypriya Kangujam, a child environmental Indian activist, called for the postponement of NEET, JEE Exams amid Covid-19.

I have some hope on this. If the 7 CMs of all these big states of India tell the Government that WE CAN’T HOLD EXAMS IN COVID” then game over.

This meeting is the results of our voice. Keep raising your voice. We will win.#PostponeJEE_NEETinCOVID #PostponeNEETJEE_Today pic.twitter.com/L8Rqgb7tfK

— Licypriya Kangujam (@LicypriyaK) August 26, 2020

Dhananjay Munde on JEE/NEET Exams | "Conducting examinations of JEE/NEET in this covid-19 pandemic in highly uncertain situation is playing with physical and mental health of students. I urge the central government to cancel the decision of conducting this entrance examinations now. #AntiStudentModigovt," said Maharashtra Cabinet Minister Dhananjay Munde. 

Conducting examinations of JEE/NEET in this covid19 pandemic in highly uncertain situation is playing with physical and mental health of students.
I urge the central government to cancel the decision of conducting this entrance examinations now.#AntiStudentModigovt

— Dhananjay Munde (@dhananjay_munde) August 26, 2020

National Testing Agency Increases Centres | Meanwhile, the National Testing Agency has increased number of examination centres, from 570 to 660 (JEE Main) and from 3843 from 2,546 (for NEET).

Students to Observe 'Black Protest' Tomorrow | Students across the country will observe black protest from their homes tomorrow. "Rise_AgainstExamsInCovid
 on Thursday, 27th August , 8 am Onwards. Raise Black Flags from homes, tie black bands on arm or forehead, wear black mask, turn their profile pictures BLACK!," the protest message read.

SC Dismissed Plea on Postponement of Exams | The Supreme Court had dismissed a plea seeking the postponement of JEE (Main) April and NEET despite the pandemic showing no signs of ebbing, saying precious year of students "cannot be wasted" and "life has to go on".

Mamata Banerjee on Students' 'Mental Agony' | Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the Centre should appeal against the Supreme Court order for holding the JEE and NEET examinations during the COVID-19 outbreak to ensure the aspirants are free from "mental agony". She wrote to Modi after the state government received a letter from the National Testing Agency to conduct the JEE/NEET examinations starting from September 1.

Meeting on Postponement of NEET | On the agenda will be the issue of the postponement of NEET and strengthening federalism. The meeting has been scheduled for 2.30pm on Wednesday via video conferencing.

Sonia Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee Convene Meeting | Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi and Trinamool Congress's Mamata Banerjee have convened a meeting of opposition chief ministers on Wednesday afternoon to discuss the issue of holding NEET and JEE Main examination next month amid the coronavirus pandemic.