West Bengal Chief Minister Appeals All CMs to Move SC over NEET, JEE Issues

Mounting pressure on the Union Government, the West Bengal Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee, has asked all opposition chief ministers to jointly approach the Supreme Court for postponement of JEE and NEET examinations in view of Covid-19. The Congress Chief, Sonia Gandhi, contended that students' problems were being dealt "uncaringly" by the Centre.

At a virtual meeting of Opposition CMs convened by Sonia Gandhi, Banerjee said, "This will be my request to all state governments, let us do it together, let us go to Supreme Court & postpone the exam for the time being until and unless the situation allows students to sit for exam (JEE/NEET)”.

Banerjee said she had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi several times to intervene in the matter and urge the Supreme Court to review its decision in the interest of the student community. Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren contended that the Opposition CMs should go to Prime Minister or President before approaching the Supreme Court. Last week, the Supreme Court refused to entertain a plea seeking postponement of JEE and NEET, scheduled to be held in September, saying that "life cannot be stopped" and the "career of students cannot be put in jeopardy". Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal has said both the exams would be held next month as per schedule.

Sonia Gandhi said the recently announced National Education Policy was a setback to secular and scientific values. "Announcements such as those related to the National Education Policy should really worry us as it is actually a setback. Other problems of students and exams are also being dealt uncaringly," she said at the meeting, which was also attended by Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray, Congress CMs Amarinder Singh, Ashok Gehlot, Bhupesh Baghel and V Narayanasamy. Hitting out the Modi government over "attacks on the federal structure", Banerjee said states were being bulldozed by the BJP-led Central government.

"The situation today...We cannot speak out, we cannot speak freely...from Facebook to everywhere...there is fake news, distorted news to destroy those in the oppositon," Banerjee said. Soren said the ruling party was using agencies against the Opposition and undermining federal structure. With the GST council scheduled to meet on Thursday, Sonia Gandhi said refusal to compensate states on GST was nothing short of betrayal by the Modi government.