One year will be wasted if medical, engineering exams not conducted on time: Chouhan

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday backed the government's decision saying that one year of students will be wasted if the entrance tests are not conducted on time.

Speaking to reporters here, he said, "NEET and JEE examinations must be conducted on time so that one year of our students doesn't get wasted. It is about their future."

Earlier in the day, ministers from six Opposition-ruled States have moved the Supreme Court seeking a review of its August 17 order, in which the Central government was permitted to conduct the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) and Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) in September 2020.

Several parties had opposed holding the NEET and JEE exams amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and consulted on approaching the Supreme Court against its verdict. Notably, several protests were also held against conducting the exams.

The Supreme Court had on August 17 dismissed a petition seeking the postponement of the NEET and JEE exam scheduled to be held in September 2020 observing that the career of students cannot be put under jeopardy for long.

The National Testing Agency, during the hearing, had submitted that all safeguards will be taken while holding the exam.

The petition, which was filed by eleven students from eleven states, had contended that the decision to hold the JEE and NEET UG-2020 exams in September across India was arbitrary, whimsical and violative of the fundamental right to life of lakhs of affected students.

( With inputs from ANI )