SC TO CONSIDER REVIEW PLEA ON NEET, JEE EXAMS

New Delhi, Sept. 3: The Supreme Court is scheduled to consider on Friday a plea of ministers of six Oppositionruled 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.

National Testing Agency (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.

The review matters in the top court are usually considered ‘in-chambers’ through circulation of the petition among all the judges of the bench. The judges then decide ‘in-chambers’ whether there is any merit in the review petition to re-examine the case in the open court hearing.

The apex court’s August 17 order, which allowed the exams to be held has become a political battle as the ministers of six states — ruled by parties like Congress, TMC, JMM, NCP and Shiv Sena — sought postponement of the exams “in a manner that achieves the twin objectives of ensuring that the academic year of the students is not wasted and their health and safety is not compromised.”