The Indian students' protest against the National Testing Agency's decision to conduct JEE and NEET in September is gathering momentum across borders. The latest to express solidarity to the students is young climate change activist Greta Thunberg.
"It’s deeply unfair that students of India are asked to sit for national exams during the Covid-19 pandemic and while millions have also been impacted by the extreme floods," Greta tweeted. "I stand with their call to #PostponeJEE_NEETinCOVID," she added. Previously, climate change activists Vanessa Nakate had also tweeted and asked the government to postpone these exams.
The Supreme Court of India, on August 17 had dismissed a petition that sought the postponement of these examinations, considering a rise in COVID cases. This had created a lot of hue and cry among the students. A lot of politicians including BJP MP Dr Subramanian Swamy, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, Shiv Sena Minister Aaditya Thackeray, West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee and DMK leader M K Stalin had previously come out in the protesting students' support.
At the same time, the NTA and the Ministry of Human Resource Development (Now Ministry of Education) had said that the exams will not be postponed. The Higher Education Secretary Amit Khare, while speaking to various media houses said that JEE and NEET won't be postponed. He also added that the Supreme Court was very clear in its order.
