The Parents Association of India representing NEET-2020 aspirants has urged the Union Health Ministry to postpone the national-level medical entrance exam – NEET 2020, to be held on July 26, expressing fear that students might act as a carrier of Covid-19. Nearly 16 lakh students will appear for the test.
In a letter to the Ministry, the parents said that not only students can act as a carrier of virus but there will be logistic problems like transport and health of those coming from containment zones, lack of online resources.
The association has now appealed to the Ministry to hold the exam only when the pandemic in India reduces. It also asked the government to “frame guidelines to compensate for the loss and the mental anguish that the students have had to go through due to the pandemic, in terms of marks, giving more time for preparation and any other way the government finds suitable.”
Stating that on an average more than 15,000 cases are being reported daily and a total number of infected cases crossed over 4.90 lakh as on June 26, the letter noted, “The most important question to be asked is who will take responsibility if, God forbid, anything happens to any student.” The association has written to the HRD Ministry as well. Several other parents’ associations across India have also opposed the scheduled dates for the exam. Aparajita Gautam, from Delhi Parents Association said, “We are awaiting a response from the Government. The HRD Minister has several times mentioned that the ministry will take steps according to the situation.”