NEET UG Exam – A day before the eagerly awaited Union Budget, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Economic Survey in Parliament on Monday. However, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan stole the spotlight during the Question Hour of the Monsoon Session’s first day. The Opposition was quick to criticize him over the NEET-UG ‘paper leak’ issue.
Congress MP Manickam Tagore and Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav took aim at Pradhan regarding the alleged paper leak, while Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition, suggested that Pradhan would “blame everyone but himself.”
“70 cases in seven years—what’s the plan, Minister?”
In response to Manickam Tagore’s claim that there were 70 paper leak incidents over the past seven years, Pradhan argued that there’s no proof supporting that number.
“The matter is currently being reviewed by the Supreme Court, with all the evidence presented and questions addressed. The Chief Justice of India is overseeing the case personally,” the education minister stated.
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“Since the National Testing Agency (NTA) was set up, they’ve held over 240 exams, with more than five crore students applying and over four crore actually taking part in the tests,” he said.
“Will the minister take responsibility? Is resignation on the table?
Manickam Tagore pointed out that the ‘paper leak’ scandal had damaged the reputation of the NTA and hurt 24 lakh students. He then called for Pradhan to step down.
The education minister responded, saying, ‘Among the 4,700 exam centers, only one in Patna has shown issues. The Bihar Police and CBI are looking into it.’ Then he took his seat.”
‘I don’t think he understands’
Rahul Gandhi addressed the issue, saying, “It’s clear to everyone that there’s a serious problem with our exam system. This isn’t just about NEET; it’s a bigger issue affecting major exams across the board.
“The minister seems to blame everyone except himself. I don’t think he really gets what’s happening. There are millions of students who are deeply worried and believe that the Indian exam system is flawed.
He then asked, “Since this is a systemic problem, what exactly are you doing to address it at the root level?”
Pradhan responded, “I’m confident in my own ethics and values. However, calling the examination system in your country ‘rubbish’ is a deeply disappointing and upsetting remark from a Leader of the Opposition.”
Concerns Raised About the Centers
SP leader Akhilesh Yadav has raised concerns about the trustworthiness of the centers and is calling for a swift resolution. Pradhan responded by pointing out that the results were made public after the Supreme Court asked for a detailed list of results by city and center. He also mentioned the history of paper leaks in Uttar Pradesh.