The student community is divided on whether the medical and engineering exams should continue during the pandemic; experts say it may be time to consider innovative alternatives to the mass test
National Students Union of India (NSUI) activists sit on a hunger strike (Chhatra Satyagraha) against non waving of a semester's fees, declaration of conduction of JEE Mains and NEET amid the coronavius pandemic, in front of Education Ministry, on August 27, 2020 in New Delhi, India. Image: Sonu Mehta/Hindustan Times via Getty Images
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Despite student protests across the country, it seems unlikely now that the exams will be further delayed. The Ministry of Education (MoE) says they will go ahead with the exams on schedule; Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal stated that since 7.5 lakh JEE students have downloaded the admit cards, they must want the exams to be conducted. For NEET, over 10 lakh of 15.97 lakh have downloaded their admit cards in 24 hours. Students, meanwhile, say they have no choice but to download the cards, if the exams are to run.