Only 51 per cent of the JEE aspirants have sat for their exams, said BJP Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy while advocating the postponement of the upcoming NEET examination which is scheduled for September 13. Swamy was speaking at The New Indian Express' E-Expressions and discussing politics, his involvement in the NEET-JEE movement and the Indian economy with TNIE Editorial Director Prabhu Chawla and senior journalist Kaveree Bamzai.

There are no official numbers yet but police sources have allegedly told Swamy that not more than 51 per cent of students have sat for the JEE anywhere. "So far no official estimates have come. But according to the information from the police, it has not exceeded in any place more than 51 per cent. The monsoon is on, many states like Haryana still has the lockdown in force — what is the urgency to hold the examinations at a time like this?" he asked. "I said hold it after Diwali — the weather will be wonderful and by then the threat of the virus might come down. What was the need to hold the exams now?" further asked the veteran politician.

It is to be noted that Union Minister for Education Ramesh Pokriyal had issued numbers stating that over 75% students had appeared for JEE on the first two days, while just over 50% had appeared for the BArch portion of JEE. When asked whether the Prime Minister had responded to his letter calling for the postponement of NEET and JEE (before it was conducted), Swamy said, "I tried, but he did not meet me."

Replying to Chawla's query on whether life should not go on because of the pandemic, Swamy said, "Life must go on but not like this. The students and their parents have to travel to the centres amid the pandemic. The monsoon is on. How do they travel? There's no public transportation system. During the JEE, students in Mumbai got to know their exam have been delayed by a day after they reached the venue," he said.