JEE Main 2020: AISA Chief Asks CM to Invoke SDMA to Postpone Entrance Exams

The All India Students' Association (AISA) has written to the Chief Ministers to invoke State Disaster Management Act (SDMA) to postpone and cancel the exams of JEE Main and NEET 2020.

"Students have seen how nonfunctional SOPs have become, with the KCET, KEAM, COMEDK, B.Ed, and BEO exams. Not only the promised SOP guidelines and rules laid down by the Central Government were openly flouted and thrown to the wind. Hundreds of students have been infected due to COVID due to giving exams," it said.

AISA added, "Considering the pandemic, lockdown, lack of public transport, floods and other difficulties students are facing, how will they reach the test centers."

It says:

Students Lives Matter!

We wrote to Chief Minister's asking their govt's to invoke SDMA to cancel/postpone exams.

CM's should stand with their Students!

Prioritize health over exams!

Exams Can Wait, Life Cannot!#CM_InvokeSDMA_AgainstExamsInCovid#PostponeExams_Or_ResignModi pic.twitter.com/CpkbWlhhzt

— AISA (@AISA_tweets) August 29, 2020

Not just the JEE Main and NEET Exams, but they want the state government to pass UGC Final year students, too.

Meanwhile, the MHA has announced the Unlock 4.0 Guidelines. Apparently, Schools and Colleges will remain closed until September 30.

How will the SDMA help?

SDMA refers to the "State Disaster Management Act". The Act provides for "the effective management of disasters and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto." Enforcing or invoking this Act will mean that the State Declare an emergency and put a lockdown-like situation on the state.

Although the act does not state what activities come under its purview, but States can decide how they want to manage the disaster. It does not specify the scope, but education disaster management does not come under. They will have to seek permission from the NDMA (National Disaster Management Authority) and move ahead. Mamata Banerjee, the Bengal CM has already decided not to conduct any exams.

Background

The NTA is firm on its decision to conduct JEE Main 2020 and NEET 2020 in September. Thus, protests against the engineering and medical entrance exams are rising high. As per reports, over 24 lakh students will take JEE Main and NEET exams this year. According to official information, 11.49 lakhs students have downloaded the NEET 2020 admit cards. Further, 7.6 lakh students have downloaded the JEE Main 2020 admit card, taking the total number to over 19 lakh.