Over 8.58 lakh students have registered for the JEE and 15.97 lakh for NEET (UG) this year. The parents request the Centre to delay exams for the Covid-19 surge over the nation and worldwide.

By Shahnaz Islam | Advocate, Guahati High Court

A section of students are up in arms in the risk and vulnerability of life. Parents bargain for the lives of their children and match a demur for postponing the exams that will be held in future. Students are the future infrastructure of the nation. One cannot be just put on risk for the sake of the concept of organising examination on time and not to urge any disturbance of the schedule. Over 8.58 lakh students have registered for the JEE and 15.97 lakh for NEET (UG) this year. The parents request the Centre to delay exams for the Covid-19 surge over the nation and worldwide. Even the States/Union Territories have given liberty to approach the UGC to seek postponement of the exams in the light of Covid-19 pandemic. One year loss in academic life is more worthy than the loss of massive lives of students forever. These students are the utmost backbone of the mainstream of a country’s economic, social and political affairs but if it is taken lightly this way then definitely we risk our tomorrow for sure. Today’s “black day” will turn out to be a “black future” of the country. We are already challenged and the future is in doubt about the welfare of the state and economic, social and political conditions of the country. The students formed a huge mass of the population of this nation and if they are forced to appear in the exams without the elixir to this vicious virus, it is somewhat like troops match to battleground without shields and instruments to fight the foes and triggering the alarm for massive turmoil to occur.

Why is the Centre so adamant? Being born and brought up in a democratic country like India, is it too much to seek for their wellbeing and postponement of scheduled exams? This urge by the students and parents is only to keep the consideration of safety for public health. The size of over 4,000 students undertook a nationwide hunger strike pleading and compelling for delay of their examinations; and why is it so that the Centre’s attention is yet to strike and consider their request?

The fuelled dissent has been more mushroomed when India contributed over 38 lakhs coronavirus cases currently as per the Worldometer. Life can’t cease to stop due to Covid-19 but with no viable vaccine in sight, and without proper weapons to fight this epidemic disease is no wise but slaughtering one to be its prey. Life is given once; why to risk it knowing the consequences. The exams in India are over and over again. One can choose to repeat it; if not this year then coming year. Therefore, it is very obvious for the students to grow and highlight the concern of theirs and their families’ health and thus demand the government to reconsider its decision to postpone national exams without compelling about 25 lakhs students to sit for the exams en mass.

Whether the government is agree or disagree with the students’ health considerations or will justice be done or injustice prevails; no matter, but the mood of the nation during this widespread students’ protest and the decision by common public to go with them – the students, who are our future body of this country, already sent a clear  signal to the people in the Centre that life is priceless and cannot be risked by mere stupidity.

Life is equal and precious for each and everyone; it just can’t be wasted.