NEET, JEE 2020 Row Updates: Exams to Go Ahead as Planned, SC Rejects Review Plea by 6 Oppn-Ruled States

JEE Main 2020 Exam of Day 4 to Conclude in 10 Minutes | The JEE Main 2020 exam, which began at 3pm, will concldue at 6pm. The JEE Main 2020 started on September 1 and will continue till September 6. The exams are being held in two shifts. 

The boy accompanied by his father, Rabi a carpenter by profession, cycled for six hours to reach the exam centre in the city suburbs 75 km away on Wednesday.

In Other News | The Exam Controller at Garhwal Central University has released the dates for B.Ed. and M.Ed 4th-semester examination; exams will be conducted from September 27 till October 9.

The Exam Controller at Garhwal Central University has released the dates for B.Ed. & M.Ed 4th-semester examination; exams will be conducted from 27th September till 9th October. pic.twitter.com/pTC19WW0fy

— ANI (@ANI) September 4, 2020

SC Order Copy on JEE, NEET Exams 2020 | Here's the Supreme Court order rejecting the review petition filed to postpone the conduct of NEET and JEE exams 2020 amid Covid-19 pandemic.

Supreme Court order rejecting the review petition:#reviewplea #NEETisSocial_Injustice #SupremeCourt pic.twitter.com/B8EecodfpM

— Bar & Bench (@barandbench) September 4, 2020

CBSE Advisory to Students | The CBSE has asked students to bring their own hand sanitizers, water bottles, wear masks and follow social distancing at the time of compartment exams. Parents have been asked to "ensure that their ward is not sick."

JUST IN: After Supreme Court sought CBSE's response on a plea seeking cancellation of #compartmentexams by Sept 10, @cbseindia29 releases date sheet for Compartment exams. Exams begin from Sept 22#SupremeCourt #CBSEexams#compartmentexams #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/ECuxUK5eh2

— Bar & Bench (@barandbench) September 4, 2020

Don't Postpone Reappear Exams, All Measures in Place: CBSE Tells SC | The CBSE today opposed in the Supreme Court a plea for postponement of reappear exams for Class 10 and 12, telling the court that all health safety measures are in place for holding the exams this month amid the coronavirus pandemic. The CBSE's counsel said that the number of examination centres has been increased from 575 to 1,278, and that only 12 students will sit in a 

Eight-year-old Activist Protests Outside Education Min's Residence | Licypriya Kangujam, an eight year-old activist, staged protest outside the residence of Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' over JEE and NEET exams 2020. Earlier in the day, she protested outside the Supreme Court regarding the same issue. 

Just did my final protest at the main gate of the official residence of Hon’ble Minister of Education @DrRPNishank to tell it was injustice he is doing to Students forcibly with all his full power in this peak COVID19 situation in the country.

YOU WON BY LIE BUT WE WON BY TRUTH. pic.twitter.com/OtOjmWYQOE

— Licypriya Kangujam (@LicypriyaK) September 4, 2020

JEE Main 2020 2nd Shift Exam Begins | The exam for JEE Main 2020 second shift for Day 4 started at 4pm and will continue till 6pm. The exam is being conducted at several exam centres across the country in online mode. There are three sections in the exam: Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics. All Covid-19 guidelines are being followed at the centres. 

In Other News | Schools, colleges, educational and coaching institutes for regular class activities shall remain closed till September 30. Online and distance learning activities are allowed to continue, says Chief Secretary, Assam.

Schools, colleges, educational & coaching institutes for regular class activities shall remain closed till 30th September. Online and distance learning activities are allowed to continue: Chief Secretary, Assam pic.twitter.com/ePn8fPYyx1

— ANI (@ANI) September 4, 2020

45% Candidates Skipped JEE Exam 2020 in Gujarat Due to Covid-19 Crisis on Day 1 | Nearly 45 per cent aspirants from Gujarat had skipped the JEE Main 2020 which began nationwide on Tuesday for seeking admission in engineering and pharmacy courses. A senior official said the percentage of students skipping the test stood at 25-30 percent in earlier years and the current figure was "10-15 per cent" more. The state government had said on Monday that 38,167 students had registered for the exam being conducted by the NTA.

Ministers from Opposition States Had Demanded Postponement of JEE, NEET Exams | Chief Ministers from the Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal, Maharashtra's Shiv Sena government, the JMM government in Jharkhand, and Congress governments in Rajasthan and Punjab had filed a review petition in the Supreme Court seeking postponement of the JEE and NEET exams 2020 due to Covid-19 pandemic.

Bengal JEE Candidates Face Difficulties to Reach Exam Centres Due to Lack of Transport Facility | Around 57 per cent of JEE (Mains) candidates of West Bengal reached their exam centres in Kolkata on Thursday, the third day of the test, braving rainand inadequate transport facilities, an official said. Some of them covered long distances in two-wheelers to reach the centres in COVID-19 time, while many others had toshell out high fares to do the same. JEE tests were held in 15 centres across West Bengal. 

Over 8 Lakh JEE Main Aspirants | The JEE Main exam 2020 for over 8 lakh engineering aspirants had started on September 1. NEET 2020 will be held on September 13. The apex court, in its earlier judgement, had upheld the Centre's decision to hold the exams and said, "A crucial year of students cannot be wasted and life has to go on" while dismissing the students’ pleas for postponement.

A three-judge bench headed by Justice AM Khanwilkar directed the CBSE to file its response by Monday and asked the Board to lay down arrangements for conducting the examinations amid COVID-19…

The review petition was filed by ministers of six opposition-ruled states against the court's August 17 order allowing the National Test Agency (NTA) to hold NEET and JEE exams in September, amid…

SC Rejects Review Plea to Postpone JEE, NEET 2020 | The Supreme Court has rejected a review plea filed to postpone the conduct of NEET and JEE exams 2020 amid Covid-19 pandemic. Three-judge bench says, "The plea does not merit reconsideration."

Kolkata Metro to Run Special Services for NEET Candidates on Sept 13 | Kolkata metro authorities have decided to run special services for NEET 2020 examinees only on September 13 as requested by the West Bengal government. 

Request to Increase Number of Attempts for JEE Main 2020 | Advocate Alakh Alok Srivastava has written a letter to the Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' to increase the number of attempts for JEE Main 2020 from two to three or more, to provide a level-playing field to bright students from rural/poor families, reports Live Law.

Adv. Alakh Alok Srivastava has written a letter to the Education Minister to increase the number of attempts for JEE Main from 2 to 3 or more, to provide a level-playing field to bright students from rural/poor families.@advocate_alakh #JEEMain2020 #JEENEET #StudentsLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/2PfQRppg9x

— Live Law (@LiveLawIndia) September 4, 2020

JEE-Mains, the first large scale exam to be conducted amid the pandemic, will continue till September 6.

SC Rejects Review Plea | Supreme Court rejects review petition filed jointly by six non-BJP ruled states for deferring NEET-JEE exams. The ministers had claimed in their plea that the top court order failed to secure students' "right to life" and ignored "teething logistical difficulties" to be faced in conducting the exams during the COVID-19 pandemic.

RECAP | The Supreme Court is scheduled to consider today evening a plea of ministers of six opposition-ruled states seeking review of its August 17 order allowing holding of NEET and JEE exams physically. The ministers had claimed that the top court order failed to secure students' "right to life" and ignored "teething logistical difficulties" to be faced in conducting the exams during the COVID-19 pandemic. NTA which conducts both the exams is holding JEE Main Exams from September 1 to September 6, while NEET exams will be held on September 13. A bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan, B R Gavai and Krishna Murari will consider the review plea in chambers.

SC Order Expected This Evening | The Supreme Court's order in the review petition is expected by evening. In-chamber hearings are not open to journalists or the public.

Students wearing protective face masks carry a banner as they participate in a protest march demanding postponement of admission tests to medical and engineering schools amidst the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Kolkata

"Hand sanitisers are being made available at the entrance of the examination centre and inside the exam hall at all times. The usual process of checking the admit cards of candidates has been replaced with barcode readers, which have been made available to the examination centre authorities," an NTA official was quoted as saying.

NTA's Safety Measures in Light of Covid-19 | Increase in the number of examination centres from 570 to 660, alternate seating plans, fewer candidates per room and staggered entry and exit are among the steps the National Testing Agency (NTA) for ensuring safe conducting of the crucial exam. 

Meet the Justices of today's in-chamber hearing. (Image: Bar & Bench-Twitter)

JEE Aspirants Drop Out over Covid Fear | Only 343,958 went to give the exams on the first three days. About 54.67 per cent aspirants gave the exam on day one, 81 per cent gave it on day two and day three say an attendance of 82 per cent.

Nearly 25% of 4.5 Lakh-plus Students Drop Out from JEE Mains in First 3 Days | Of the total 458,521 students who had registered to sit for the Joint Entrance Exam (JEE)-Mains for admission to engineering colleges, at least 114,563 students dropped out from appearing in the first three days, education ministry said in a data released on Thursday.

Hearing Begins | Justice Ashok Bhushan-led bench is currently hearing the review petition filed against Supreme Court’s Aug 17 verdict declining to postpone JEE-NEET exams. The bench began in-chamber consideration at 1.30pm. 

The plea, filed through advocate Sunil Fernandes, said the apex court order fails to satisfy the safety and security concerns of students who have to appear for the exams. The court had refused to interfere with the conduct of the medical and engineering entrance exams, saying that life must go on and students can't lose a precious year due to the pandemic.