Bring students to Mann ki Baat over JEE/NEET: Mamata

KOLKATA:WEST Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to bring students to his monthly ‘Mann ki Baat’ radio address and ask for their opinions on holding the JEE and NEET exams during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Bring in original students at Mann ki Baat. Don’t stage it. Ask them impromptu questions and not rehearsed questions to find out what they think about holding JEE-NEET during pandemic. We will accept what they say,” Banerjee said on Friday.

She also announced that final year examinations in state-run colleges and universities will not be held in September because of the rising cases of the coronavirus disease.

“We will not hold the final exams in our colleges and universities in September for sure. The state education minister will discuss the matter and see whether the exams could be held before the Pujas (scheduled in Octoberend). The dates would be announced by next week,” said Banerjee.

On Friday, the apex court upheld a July 6 directive of the University Grants Commission (UG) to hold terminal semester exams in universities and colleges by September 30, but gave states the liberty to defer such exams beyond the September 30 deadline.

Six opposition-ruled states, including West Bengal, on Friday filed a review petition in the Supreme Court against its order allowing the Centre to hold the NEET and JEE in September.