Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the phone and requested him to postpone NEET and JEE exams, in view of the COVID-19 pandemic and the flood situation in the state. Two days ago, the CM had written a letter in this regard to Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank. Patnaik, during his conversation with the prime minister, explained that Odisha is in the grip of a pandemic as well as flood, and students might face difficulties in appearing for the examinations. Over the past week, heavy rain, triggered by back-to- back formation of low-pressure systems over the Bay of Bengal, battered the state, submerging low-lying areas, snapping road links and claiming at least two lives.
