London: Swedish teen climate change campaigner Greta Thunberg threw her weight behind postponing the NEET and the JEE exams in India. Greta Thunberg said that in view of the coronavirus, it is ‘deeply unfair’ that students are asked to appear in the tests.
Several students and political leaders across India, including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and DMK president MK Stalin, have urged the central government to postpone the examination until the spread of the COVID-19 is brought under control.
Voicing her support to the calls for the deferment of the key national examinations, Thunberg took to Twitter. “It’s deeply unfair that students of India are asked to sit national exams during the COVID-19 pandemic and while millions have also been impacted by the extreme floods. I stand with their call to #PostponeJEE_NEETinCOVID,” she said.
Thunberg, 17, has become a leading voice for action on climate change, inspiring millions of students to join protests around the world. She was named Time Magazine’s ‘Person of the Year’ for 2019.
The chorus for postponing the various examinations, including NEET and JEE, grew louder Sunday with over 4,000 students observing a day-long hunger strike to press for the demand in view of the rising COVID-19 cases.
The JEE (Main) is scheduled to be held between September 1 and 6, while the JEE (Advanced) September 27. The NEET will be held September 13.
Agencies