Advocate Alakh Alok Srivastava, who represented the 11 student petitioners in the Supreme Court seeking the postponement of JEE and NEET is now submitting a petition to the apex court, seeking a special exam for aspirants who may miss the entrance exams. On Monday, the Supreme Court had asked the NTA to go ahead and conduct the medical and engineering entrance examinations on the scheduled dates, creating a lot of hue and cry among the students.

"The Supreme Court was considering two exact opposite petitions on Monday. While one sought a postponement, the other wanted the exams to be held on the originally scheduled dates. They had to opt for one," says Srivastava. "So now we are seeking an option where students who aren't able to write the exams in September can write it at a later period. This will sort out all the issues. A lot of students are now living in containment zones, have no option to travel or are in flood-affected areas," he says.

Srivastava says that he is hopeful of the petition getting approved since the UGC has also previously allowed the same option. He said that the petition will be filed by Monday. "We will file an application in the mather that was disposed of," he adds.

When asked if this option will interfere with the admissions, Srivastava said, "The students should be allowed to opt for the September exam or an exam at a later period. Depending on their response, the admissions for the seats must be managed. A portion of seats must be reserved for the students who are writing the entrance at a later period," he says. "We want to keep on trying. Hope isn't lost completely," he adds.