On Monday, Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition, sharply criticized the government over the NEET exam paper leak allegations, describing the issue as a “very serious problem” within the country’s examination system. Speaking during the Budget Session in the Lok Sabha, Gandhi questioned Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan about what actions are being taken to address the “systemic” flaws in the examination process. He asserted that millions of students believe the examination system is “fraud” and can be bought by those with money.
Gandhi expanded on his criticism, stating that the problem extends beyond just the NEET exam to all major exams in India. He criticized Education Minister Pradhan for not grasping the severity of the situation and claimed that Pradhan had blamed everyone except himself. Gandhi emphasized that many students are troubled by the belief that wealth can influence the examination system, and this sentiment is shared by people in the Opposition as well.
In response, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan dismissed Gandhi’s remarks as “lies,” arguing that shouting does not make falsehoods true. He defended the examination system, saying there has been no proven case of paper leaks in the past seven years. Pradhan noted that over 240 exams were conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) in that period, involving more than 5 crore students, and emphasized that the current case is under Supreme Court review.
Additionally, Samajwadi Party MP Akhilesh Yadav criticized the government, suggesting it will be remembered for frequent paper leaks and claiming that some centers had more than 2,000 students pass under dubious circumstances.
The Budget Session of Parliament, which started today, will include 16 sittings over 22 days. Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju announced that the session will focus mainly on financial matters related to the Union Budget for 2024-25, which will be presented to the Lok Sabha on July 23.