Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation through his radio programme 'Mann Ki Baat' today. In his today's address, he spoke about varied topics like the celebration of Onam to the Indian toy industry.
While netizens expected that PM Modi will talk about the ongoing controversy around various exams, several of them were disappointed after PM skipped the topic in his address.
Today, ahead of his program, Twitter started to trend #Mann_Ki_Nahi_Student_Ki_Baat against the decision of conducting the engineering and medical entrance tests - JEE (Main) April 2020 and NEET-Undergraduate examinations - in September. The hashtag was trending even after 'Mann Ki Baat'.
Netizens did not just stop at this many chose to dislike the video of 'Mann Ki Baat' on YouTube to mark their protest, as PM Modi skipped the topic in his address.
Before today's program, the video would get a few downvotes on YouTube. Thus, it's not that the video of 'Mann Ki Baat' did not get downvotes till now. However, today's video uploaded by Youtube channels of Narendra Modi, PMO India, BJP and DD had many dislikes. BJP and DD's YouTube Channel had more dislikes than likes.
When we checked, the video uploaded by BJP had more dislikes than likes. It had 1.1 k likes and 4k dislikes.
If you take, 'Mann Ki Baat' videos of June and July, dislikes are not much in comparison with likes.
Even the 'Mann Ki Baat' video uploaded by DD was disliked by several users today. It had 1.1 k likes and 3 k dislikes.
Likes and dislikes of video uploaded on Narendra Modi's channel.
In addition to these, video uploaded by PMO India's YouTube channel was also disliked by many users. If you compare the downvotes in July and August, you will see the difference.
The comment section of the BJP's YouTube channel below the video was also flooded with comments related to postponement of exams amidst pandemic.
In the wake of COVID-19 pandemic, parents and students wanted the postponement of JEE and NEET, however, the Ministry of Education clarified that the competitive exams will be held in September as it was scheduled.
As the date of the exam is coming closer, the outrage on social media is increasing day by day. Many politicians across the party lines have also supported the students in their protest.
As the COVID-19 cases surged in the country, several pleas were filed in the Supreme Court against the notification of conducting JEE and NEET in September. On 17 August, the Supreme Court dismissed a plea seeking postponement of these exams. The top court has said that the year of students "cannot be wasted" and life has to go on.
The plea, filed by 11 students belonging to 11 states, had sought quashing of the July 3 notices issued by the National Testing Agency (NTA), by which it was decided to conduct the exams in September.
The plea, filed through advocate Alakh Alok Srivastava, had referred to COVID-19 pandemic and said authorities be directed to conduct these exams only after normalcy is restored.
The plea had also alleged that authorities concerned have ignored the plight of lakhs of students from Bihar, Assam and northeastern states, which are presently reeling under flood, and conducting either online or offline exams in such places may not be possible.
As per the public notices issued by NTA, JEE (Main) April 2020 is scheduled from September 1-6, while NEET-UG 2020 exam is scheduled for September 13.
(All the screengrabs were taken before 3 pm)
(With inputs from agencies)
