Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank and BJP leader Subramanian Swamy on Thursday sparred on social media on the issue of the number of students who actually appeared for the Joint Engeering Entrance (JEE) tests held last week amid the controversy over the conduct of the exams by the National Testing Agency (NTA) during the Covid-19 pandemic. The duo engaged in a Twitter face-off after Swamy shared that due to the pandemic less than half of the applicants finally took the exams. Nishank responded saying the number of JEE applicants this year was 8.58 lakh and not 18 lakh as claimed by Swamy.

While Swamy claimed that only 51 percent of the total applicants took the exams, the NTA, responsible for the conduct of entrance tests like JEE and NEET, claimed that 75 percent took the exams. NTA sources said the figure is almost the same when compared to the applicants and examinees every year in the recent past.

“I would like to place some facts on the record regarding JEE (Main) exams. The number of applicants for #JEEMains stands at 8.58 lakh, not 18 lakh as you tweeted,” mentioned Pokhriyal on the microblogging site countering Swamy, who has, of late, been targeting his own party on several issues.

The Education Minister also added that out of 8.58 lakh JEE Mains applicants, 6.35 lakh appeared for the exam. “Central & respective State Governments assured all possible assistance to the students, for which I compliment all State Governments as well. This entire effort displayed the spirit of cooperative federalism,” Pokhriyal shared further in response to Swamy, who is also a Rajya Sabha member. Swamy responded that the numbers are wrong and that the number of registered candidates was 9,53,473, according to a Ministry of Education response submitted at the Supreme Court.

“I had the accurate count on how many students took the JEE exams this last week - out (of ) 18 lakhs who downloaded passes only 8 lakhs turned up to take up the exam. What a disgrace for the nation which extols vidya and gyan,” Swamy had tweeted initially.

Following Pokhriyal’s tweet late Wednesday night, Swamy retorted on Thursday by posting what he said was a copy of the official figures the ministry gave to the Supreme Court.

“I will soon tweet what the Ministry of Education stated to the Supreme Court as candidates registered state wide and abroad at 9,53,473 at 660 centres. The Minister’s tweet for me to see his “facts” was 8.58 lakhs. Now who’s is official?” Swamy said.

Later in the day he posted a sheet, claiming the government had tabled it in the Supreme Court. The sheet mentioned the figure of applicants at over 9.5 lakh. “With my compliments, Minister!” Swamy tweeted again.

Swamy had been protesting for postponement of the JEE and NEET and other competitive competitive exams citing the pandemic.