BJP leader urges Maha govt to approach Rail Ministry to allow to NEET, JEE candidates to travel on Mumbai suburban trains

BJP leader Ashish Shelar on Monday requested the Maharashtra government to approach the Rail Ministry to allow students with valid NEET and JEE admit cards to travel on Mumbai suburban trains.

In a letter to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Shelar said that Railway Minister Piyush Goyal has shown his willingness to positively take up this matter.

"I am writing in regard to the JEE and NEET starting from Sep 1, 2020, for which over 3 lakh students from Maharashtra are appearing. A large number of these students are residing in the Mumbai metropolitan region. I urge the Maharashtra government to approach the Union Railway Ministry to allow students with valid admit cards to travel on Mumbai suburban trains," he said in his letter.

"I have spoken to Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal who has shown his willingness to positively take up this matter, should the Maharashtra government approach the Railway Ministry formally," he added.

This will benefit over 50,000 thousand students residing in Mumbai and its nearby areas, who are appearing for the JEE, he said.

Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal on Thursday said that the safety and future of the students were the topmost priority with regard to conducting the JEE and NEET amid the COVID-19 pandemic. He added that several steps including the increase in the number of exam centres had been taken.

The National Testing Agency is scheduled to conduct the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) on September 13 and Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) between September 1 and 6.

( With inputs from ANI )