Why NEET and JEE should be immediately postponed.

The Supreme Court of India has dismissed the PIL(s) that seeked postponement of NEET and JEE exams. The NTA based on that order has said that the exams will be conducted as per schedule. NEET (for medical aspirants) is to be conducted on 13th September and JEE Mains (for Engineering aspirants) is to be conducted between 1st and 6th September 2020. India is the third worst country hit by Covid 19. As of now India has more than 31 Lakh total Covid cases. Each day around 60 thousand new cases are being added. The total number of deaths are 57,542 increasing each day by approximately 800. The exams should not be conducted now. They should be postponed immediately. The reasons why exams should be postponed are as follows.

1. Travel Issues and lodging: Due to this pandemic only special trains are being operated by IRCTC. How will a village based aspirant reach the exam centre? Even if he/she somehow manages to reach the exam centre the woes don’t end there. If the area in which an aspirant lives is declared as a containment zone overnight how will he/she reach the exam centre?
2. Asymptomatic Patients: According to a report published by The Print about 80% of the covid positive patients are asympotomatic. This percentage is based on an internal analysis by the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP). If an aspirant is Covid positive and is asymptomatic he/she will give the exam and while giving the exam he/she can infect others as well. Even if social distancing is followed it will not be followed at all times. During the entry and exit the aspirants will be in close proximity with each other. The aspirants will be accompanied by at least one parent/guardian and there will be guards, peons and invigilators . This will create a crowd at the centre which will be the breeding ground for new patients as they might get infected by asymptomatic positive aspirants. Keep in mind that a large state like Bihar has only two centres for NEET.
3. Danger of catching an infection or aspirants already suffering from any other disease: Even if the aspirant reaches the exam centre and sits in the exam there is fair chance of him/her catching the infection. Firstly, if he/she tests positive after the exam who will be responsible and who will pay for a hospital bed. Government hospitals are already struggling with the present number of cases. If an aspirant goes to a private hospital how will the bills be paid? Secondly many of the aspirants live in joint families. The families comprise of grandparents (approx. 70 years old or more), parents and uncles and aunts (approx. 50+), babies. There are high chances that at least one or more member suffers from a disease that if combined with Covid can be fatal. If a Covid positive aspirant returns home then his/her family members will also get the infection then who will be responsible? Thirdly there are aspirants who themselves suffer from immunity disorders or respiratory diseases or any other diseases. Should they not be given an equal chance to give the examination? Are they not deserving of giving the exam?
4. Practical Issues: There are practical issues for students who wear spectacles. It is very difficult for students to write an exam while wearing both a mask and spectacles. Will they keep adjusting their masks and spectacles during the time they should be writing exams? JEE and NEET are of 3 hour duration each and the aspirant has to reach at least one hour before the actual time of the exam. So they spend four hours inside an exam centre. They will be need water during the exam because it is a long time. Water is provided by the exam centre and for drinking it the aspirant will have to remove his/her mask. If you argue that a 18/19 year old can sit in the exam without water then keep in mind that there are some students that suffer from diseases and also the aspirants have to stand in a ground or assembly hall for 40/50 minutes before they can sit in the actual exam hall. It is outrightly inhumane if you say that water should not be provided. Keep in mind due to wearing a mask there is somewhat more strength required while breathing. If an aspirant starts to have an asthma attack while giving the exam how will it be handled. The medical pumps prescribed by doctors are not permitted inside the exam hall.

The aspirants are not asking for cancellation of the exams. They are simply asking for them to be postponed. Keep in mind that the whole world is dealing with a pandemic and all the people are working from home. Is it really a good decision to send students to give exams? In India, as of now the Lok Sabha and most of the Vidhan Sabhas of various states are closed, judiciary is working via video conferencing, offices are closed and common people are working from home, school children and university students are being taught via online classes. If everything is closed then why are students being forced to give exams at exam centres? They are the future of the nation and not lab rats for some experiment.