New Delhi, August 22: Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Saturday appealed to the central government to cancel medical and engineering entrance exams JEE and NEET in view of the COVID-19 situation.

He also said that an alternative admission methodology should be used this year and the exams should not be conducted.

On Friday, Education Ministry officials had said the Joint Entrance Examination (Main) and the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET-UG) will be conducted in September as scheduled. JEE and NEET 2020 Exam Dates: Here’s Why Students Are Protesting From Home to Postpone NTA Entrance Exams.

"The government is playing with lives of lakhs of students in name of JEE and NEET. I appeal Centre govt to immediately cancel both exams and adopt an alternative admission process," Sisodia tweeted.

"To think that only exam is a way out for admission, is an impractical and conservative thought. When other countries can have admission though different methods other than exams why can't it be done in India," he said.

There have been demands from several students and parents to further postpone the entrance exams in view of increasing coronavirus cases. The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a plea seeking postponement of JEE (Main) April 2020 and NEET-Undergraduate examinations, which are scheduled to be conducted in September, amid spurt in number of COVID-19 cases, saying precious year of students "cannot be wasted" and life has to go on. NEET 2020, JEE (Main) Exam Date And Schedule Announced by National Testing Agency; Check Confirmed Time Table Here.

The JEE (Main) is scheduled to be held between September 1 and 6 while the JEE (Advanced) on September 27. The NEET will be held on September 13.

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