NEW DELHI, July 21: The Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for the strictest possible punishment for those responsible for the NEET paper leak and emphasized that preventing such paper leaks was a national responsibility, Minister Kiren Rijiju said quoting the Prime Minister after the NDA Parliamentary Party’s ‘Mangal Milan’ meeting on Tuesday.
The Prime Minister, Rijiju said, urged for collective efforts to build a foolproof examination system. “The PM called on NDA partners to remain united in supporting legislative business and appealed to opposition parties to work constructively in parliament, saying that while political differences may exist, all MPs have a shared responsibility to work for the country’s future and the welfare of its youth,” Rijiju said quoting the Prime Minister.
The comments came a day after hundreds of student protesters were lathi-charged and teargassed when tried to march to the Parliament House under the auspices of the Cockroach Janta Party demanding Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation following alleged irregularities in competitive examinations, including the NEET paper leak.
The National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET) is one of the country’s most competitive exams, attracting more than two million aspiring doctors. The exam was scrapped in May following allegations that the question paper was leaked in advance. The re-test was conducted late last month.
The NEET scandal came on top of another controversy, related to the online marking system used for tests taken by nearly two million high school CBSE students. Many students said the system had assigned incorrect grades or issued results to the wrong candidates.
PM Modi said the government acted immediately after reports of the NEET paper leak emerged, leading to arrests and swift action against those involved, Rijiju said. The Central Bureau of Investigation, or CBI, has arrested the “kingpin” alleged to be behind the leak, naming him as a chemistry lecturer involved in the examination process for the National Testing Agency (NTA). The education ministry launched a website where the public can report “suspicious claims, unauthorized content, or fraudulent activities” related to the NEET exam.
Rijiju said the Prime Minister stressed that a re-examination was conducted without delay to ensure students’ futures were not affected. PM Modi did not mention the protesters in a public address before the start of the Monsoon Session of parliament on Monday.
(Rohit Kumar)
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