TOI News Desk
The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) decided to postpone the NEET-PG, the ministry of health informed on Saturday.The NEET-PG exams, initially scheduled for June 23, were postponed as a “precautionary measure.” The ministry added that a new date will be announced soon.
Additionally, the central government removed NTA director general Subodh Singh and entrusted the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) with investigating the alleged discrepancies in NEET-UG.
‘Playing with student lives’, alleges NCP (SP)
NCP (Sharad Pawar) spokesperson Clyde Crasto criticized the government for mishandling the examination process. Crasto accused the government of “playing with the lives and future of children” and called for the resignation of Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan, saying, “He should also step down as minister and accept accountability for all the mess and malpractices in the examination process in our country.”
‘Education system rotted by BJP’, says Congress President
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge expressed that shuffling bureaucrats will not address the deep-rooted issues in the education system, which he believes has been “rotted by the Bharatiya Janata Party.” Kharge highlighted that the NTA was intended to be autonomous but has been serving BJP/RSS interests. He pointed to the prevalence of paper leaks, corruption, irregularities, and the influence of the education mafia in the current system.
‘Education system ruined under Modi govt’: Rahul Gandhi
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi echoed Kharge’s sentiments, saying that the postponement of the NEET-PG exam is “another unfortunate example of the ruined education system under the rule of Narendra Modi.” Gandhi criticized the BJP government, claiming students are forced to fight for their future instead of focusing on their studies. He accused Prime Minister Modi of being helpless against the paper leak racket and education mafia, calling his government “the biggest threat to the future of students.”
RJD demands justice
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav demanded justice for candidates affected by the alleged NEET paper leak and urged the government to investigate the matter thoroughly.
He said, “Wherever there is a BJP government, paper leaks are happening there. It is my appeal to investigation agencies to probe Sanjeev Mukhiya. I urge the government to probe this. Sanjeev Mukhiya is said to be the head of Nitish Kumar and Amit Anand, who have been nabbed (in NEET issue). This should be investigated.”
‘Education handed over to mafias’: Priyanka Gandhi
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra strongly criticized the Narendra Modi-led government on Sunday for the reported malpractices in various national competitive examinations, including the NEET-UG. She accused the government of surrendering the country’s education system to corrupt elements and the “mafia”.
“The political stubbornness and arrogance of handing over the country’s education and the future of children to greedy and sycophantic incompetent people has made paper leaks, cancellation of exams, disappearance of education from campuses and political hooliganism the identity of our education system,” she said.
‘Total incompetence’: Jairam Ramesh targets PM
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh directly attacked Prime Minister Modi, attributing the frequent exam cancellations to the “total incompetence” of the Prime Minister and his associates.
Shiv Sena calls for action
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi questioned education minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s assurance of taking action against those responsible for the paper leaks and called on PM Modi to break his silence on the issue.
In response to the criticism, the ministry of education formed a 7-member committee, chaired by former Isro chairman Dr K Radhakrishnan, to provide recommendations on reforms in the examination process, data security improvements, and the functioning of the NTA. The committee is expected to submit its report within the next two months.