Members of the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), the student wing of the Indian National Congress, started an indefinite hunger strike on Wednesday, demanding the postponement of JEE (Main) and NEET, PTI reported. Their demands include a six-month fee waivers for students during the pandemic.

The Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) for admission to engineering courses is scheduled to be held from September 1 to 6. The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) for admission to medical courses will be conducted on September 13.

Several politicians and activists have demanded postponement of the exams, due to the prevailing coronavirus situation in the country. 

NSUI’s President Neeraj Kundan, president of its Delhi wing along with eight other members, started the hunger strike. They’re demanding universities to not hold the exams amid the pandemic.

Several other leaders have also demanded that the exams should be deferred. These include Congress’ Rahul Gandhi, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Bannerjee, Delhi’s Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia. 

Meanwhile, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and West Bengal CM Mamata Bannerjee will hold a meeting on Wednesday on the exams’ issue. It will include several Congress leaders, Chief Ministers of the Congress-ruled states, and their counterparts in Maharashtra and Jharkhand.