Two students write letter petition to CJI Bobde asking Supreme Court to quash NEET-JEE September exam notification

Two students have written a letter petition to Chief Justice of India SA Bobde seeking intervention in the pleas filed to quash the notification for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) and the Joint Entrance Exams (JEE) scheduled to be held in September..Aman Banka, a third year law student, and Aditya Dubey, a 12th standard student, have stated that the exams should be postponed till normalcy is restored as nothing is "more important than human lives.".On August 17, the Supreme Court dismissed petitions seeking postponement of the JEE and NEET examinations scheduled to be held amid the COVID-19 pandemic..Yesterday, cabinet ministers from six states approached the Supreme Court seeking a review of the order dismissing this petition..Breaking: Ministers from Opposition-ruled States file review petition challenging SC dismissal of pleas to postpone NEET & JEE Exams.The two students, through the letter petition, now seek to intervene in the plea. The letter states,"...decision of the government to hold NEET and JEE examinations during the Covid pandemic is a clear violation of Article 21 of the Constitution in as much as it forces all students, who wish to participate in the said examinations, to either endanger their lives and health by exposing themselves to the Covid Virus at the Examination Centers.".The plea further states that many students live far away from the examination centres and will have to travel large distances in public transport to appear for the examinations, which will expose them to great risk. The letter goes on to state,."AIIMS has recommended that wearing a mask for more than 2.5 hours at a stretch is unsafe for any person, but even then these minor children are expected to wear a mask and give the entrance examinations for long hours while wearing a mask.".It is further pointed out that the decision to hold exams amid the pandemic is weighed heavily against students coming from the underprivileged sections of the society, as they don’t have access to private transport and proper masks and face shields. .The letter concludes,"We feel and believe that there is nothing more precious than human lives, more when the lives in question are those of young and innocent children, that’s why we have gathered the courage to write to you Sir and seek your intervention in the matter. Even if there is a risk to the life of even one child, then can such an examination be allowed?We don’t know whether this petition will be placed before your good self in time or whether you will be able to find time in your busy schedule to consider this, but we have now performed our constitutional duty by reporting this violation of fundamental rights to you. We pray and hope that your office will draw your attention to this petition today and enables the Hon’ble Court to perform its constitutional obligation."