Why I Think The SC Ruling To Hold JEE And NEET Is Unfavourable For Students

The Supreme Court rejected the plea for the postponement of the JEE and NEET examinations thus sealing the dates for the examination that will now be conducted in the first week of September and on 13 September respectively. This decision affects lakhs of students and their families in India and we’ll analyse the arguments of both those in favour and those against the postponement of examinations.

The Supreme Court in its verdict stated that “precious years of students cannot be wasted and life has to go on.” This is the argument of the petitioners stating that the career of the students should not be put at risk.

Besides, thousands of students take a drop year and often longer to prepare for the exam and are hence anxious to take the entrance quickly and get the fruits of the hard work they have put in for more than a year now.

There is no confirmed date for the crisis to end and normalcy to be restored and many students wish to not be stuck in this dilemma any longer. The crisis could continue for another year and the process could be delayed that much longer. Further institutes have argued against considering alternate admission processes for the exams stating that in a country with multiple boards and educational patterns, it is necessary to test the students on a single benchmark to ensure a fair chance to all.

Further, this delay is likely to affect the 2020 batch and even the future batch of 2021 and working days may have to be increased to complete the syllabus in time which would further increase the pressure on the incoming students. Key professions like engineering and medicine are of utmost importance to a country and hence it is necessary to maintain the standard set by these institutions. Further, the NTA has assured the SC that all sanitary and safety precautions will be in place and utmost care will be taken to ensure the safety of the students.

The demand for the postponement of the exams has been strong and has gained international coverage with the young global icon, Greta Thunberg, recently expressing her support for the students’ demand. Students argue that holding the exams in the middle of a pandemic is a violation of Article 14 and essentially puts their life at risk. There is no upper age limit for appearing in either JEE or NEET.

While a student can attempt JEE maximum three times, there is no limit on the maximum number of attempts for NEET and hence the argument of “the students’ career being endangered” is being questioned. With many high courts and the SC itself conducting virtual hearings in wake of the covid crisis, students are questioning the double standards that pose them at risk even the judiciary and parliament won’t take.

As NLU Delhi had stated in its reasoning to conduct remotely proctored tests before reverting back to centre-based examinations – even after following all the safety precautions, the threat of a spread of infection cannot be completely ruled out. Even if the centres hypothetically achieve this feat, there is a risk of infection involved while travelling to and from the centre. Especially in red zones, with cases on the rise, this examination could spike the cases to a level our already burdened health infrastructure may not be prepared for.

Even examinations like CLAT are scheduled in the first week of September and students will now have to choose between the risk of infection and their academics – a choice which many students consider unethical of the authorities to force them into. With coaching centres being shut and internet disrupted in various regions, students find it difficult to complete their preparation on such short notice. Besides, many households have lost their employment and many have had to deal with the mental exhaustion of having a close one suffering from the virus.

The students might not be in the best psychological, mental, emotional and physical state to appear for an exam in the middle of the worst crisis of the century. Twitter has been trending with #postponeneetandjee and many media channels and student organisations have been trying to make the government pay heed to the students’ demands.

Many politicians like Mamta Bannerjee and Subramanian Swamy have also urged the Center to review the decision. A student committed suicide in wake of the decision rejecting postponement of exams, and this has urged many to appeal to the government to take the students’ mental health into perspective while making a decision that affects them.

Opinion

This is an unprecedented crisis – no one is prepared for it and we all are making decisions to the best of our capacities with the best intentions in mind. However, the judiciary at the end of the day is human and its judgments are subject to criticism as enabled by the principles of our democracy. With utmost respect for our court, I am disappointed at the lack of empathy shown in its judgement.

A decision that affects the students first and educational institutes, country and economy later should put the best interest of those students in primary consideration. While the court refuses to put the students’ career in peril, their life should be given higher regard for protection. Life must go on, agreed but it must not be put at risk of an avoidable crisis that may endanger it all together.

With cut-throat competition, the poor and underprivileged especially stand at a greater risk of an infection and its consequences and the very purpose of ensuring equality that this exam tries to achieve will be defeated when a student chooses his safety over an exam. While there are many who could skip the examination this year and comfortably appear for it next year, poverty and the hope for a better future will force many to take the exam irrespective of the peril involved. Democracy is for the people, of the people and by the people but I don’t find this judgement to be in favour of the people it is sworn to protect.