After the central government decided to conduct JEE and National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) during Covid-19 pandemic, Twitterati, presumably students, started trending a hashtag on Saturday demanding the resignation of HRD Minister which is now officially changed to Union Education Minister, Ramesh Pokhariyal Nishank on Twitter.
The National Testing Agency (NTA) on Friday announced that the JEE main exam will be held from September 1 to 6 and NEET UG on September 13 as per the earlier schedule and will not be postponed further
Disappointing thousands of students across the country, Secretary of the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development Amit Khare cited the Supreme Court order which had given nod to hold the two examinations.
In this backdrop, Twitterati demanded the HRD Minister to resign, thereby protesting on social media. For those unversed, Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ is now the Union Education Minister.
On Saturday morning, Twitter saw the hashtag #ResignNishankPokhriyal trend.
Hansraj Meena, a writer and activist wrote on Twitter, “Why, nobody in the present Govt. raised voice for student’s voice to ‘postpone ‘NEET-JEE’ exam? The decision of education ministry to conduct the exams, & the SC’s verdict to support the Govt. reveals the incompetent, inhuman nature of Govt, worse than corona.”
#ResignNishankPokhriyal Why, nobody in the present Govt.raised voice for student’s voice to’postpone ‘NEET-JEE’ exam? The decision of education ministry to conduct the exams,& the SC’s verdict to support the Govt. reveals the incompetent,inhuman nature of Govt, worse than corona.
— Hansraj Meena (@HansrajMeena) August 22, 2020
As the prevailing situation is not normal in fact worse than anyone can imagine, students are concerned not only for themselves but for their loved ones living in the same house. Students are citing that the central government has to understand the difference between ‘LIFE of Students & FUTURE of Students’.
Putting student’s life in peril amid coronavirus pandemic outbreak, and if something happens to them, there is no future, however, this is why students and many others are seeking Union Education Minster Ramesh Pokhriyal to step down from his role and resign.
“Jaan h tho jahaan hai ”
I have my 3 year old nephew and my 92 year old grandma at my home! If anyhow I m able to survive after being contaminated at exam centre would they be able to survive, if they get contaminated by me.#ResignNishankPokhriyal @nitin_gadkari@narendramodi— mukesh pharswan (@mukeshpharswan5) August 22, 2020
One use, Aman G tweeted, “They take bribe to play with the students life, and they will make new India.”
They take bribe to play with the students life, and they will make new India. #ResignNishankPokhriyal@Swamy39 @nitin_gadkari pic.twitter.com/pezMuPJP03
— AMAN G (@412Aman) August 22, 2020
Sounding disappointed, one user Siddharth Singh tweeted tagging Prime Minister Narendra Modi, “28 lakh students of neet and jee do not fight for the government. Does not belong to any community. Does not belong to any human being. We want to postpone the examination. Yes, we will not even vote for the government, not the students.”
#ResignNishankPokhriyal 28 lakh students of neet and jee do not fight for the government. Does not belong to any community. Does not belong to any human being. We want to postpone the examination. Yes, we will not even vote for the government, not the students @narendramodi pic.twitter.com/qIfiFGrgeo
— Siddharth Singh (@Siddhar82736886) August 22, 2020
One user with the name, Bharti Tribal wrote, “Mr. @DrRPNishank ji don’t push the life of lakhs students in danger Postpone/Cancel all the exams amidst Covid, bcoz Students Lives Matter Mr. @narendramodi ji pls listen your own students. They are going through a big mental stress & anxiety”
Mr. @DrRPNishank ji don’t push the life of lakhs students in danger
Postpone/Cancel all the exams amidst Covid,bcoz Students Lives Matter
Mr. @narendramodi ji pls listen your own students.They are going through a big mental stress & anxiety@HansrajMeena#ResignNishankPokhriyal
— Bharti Tribal ? (@FOUNDERofMMES) August 22, 2020
Meanwhile, Dr. Subramaniam Swamy wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday, asking him to ask the Education ministry to postpone NEET, JEE Main 2020 exams till Diwali and even warned of suicides by youths if exams will take place. Earlier, Swamy had spoken to Pokhriyal on the matter.
Several pleas were filed in the Supreme Court seeking a postponement of the entrance examinations. The apex court has, however, dismissed all petitions stating examinations can’t be postponed indefinitely.
The court said that life has to go on despite the pandemic outbreak and that it could not put the careers of students in jeopardy by interfering in National Testing Agency’s decision to comduct these in September.
