Demanding postponement of NEET and JEE examination which is likely to be conducted in September, the National Students Union of India (NSUI) Manipur State and the Manipur Pradesh Youth Congress Committee (MPYCC) staged a sit-in protest at the entrance of Congress Bhavan on Friday.
The protesters held placards which read, “irresponsible decision of Centre puts students at health risk”, “save our students save the future”, “wake up Modi, postpone all exams for safety of students”, “NEET- JEE students are worried about their future and Centre must listen to their concerns” etc.
In a video statement issued by the MPYCC, president of MPYCC, Mahananda Nungleppam questioned how the examination will be conducted when the number of COVID-19 positive cases and the number of deaths is increasing in the country and the world.
He said that the government has not informed the masses on any steps it has taken to accommodate the students who will be appearing for the examination. He appealed to the Centre to postpone the examination and conduct it when the pandemic situation gets better or when the pandemic ends.
President of National Students Union of India, Manipur State Bankimchandra Meitei said that the NSUI and MPYCC strongly condemn the intention of the BJP government to conduct the examination amidst the pandemic.
Bankim said, “The BJP government should announce the safety measures it will be taking up for the students if at all the examinations are to be conducted”. The BJP government should also clarify on who will be held responsible if any of the students appearing in the examination get infected with COVID-19, he said.
The education department and the education minister of Manipur should approach the HRD ministry and make a stand that Manipur will be in no position to conduct the examination if the pandemic still continues, he added.
