NEET issue rocks Lok Sabha; Rahul Gandhi calls exam system fraud; Speaker cautions him, Dharmendra Pradhan hits back

Aditi Tandon

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New Delhi, July 22

The controversial issue of National Eligibility cum Entrance Test-UG paper anomalies rocked the Lok Sabha on the first day of the Budget Session with a face-off between Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi.

Gandhi targeted the government on the alleged paper leak during Question Hour and said, “Millions of students are concerned and they are convinced that the entire Indian examination system is a fraud.”

Gandhi said the minister did not understand what was fundamentally going on here.

“He has blamed all but himself. He doesn’t understand the fundamentals of what’s going on here. Millions of students are concerned and convinced that the Indian exam system is a fraud. Millions believe if you are rich and if you have money you can buy the exam system and this is the feeling we have. As this is systemic issue the first question is what’s being done to fix it at a systemic level,” said Gandhi.

The Education Minister – far removed from India’s ground reality – claims there have been no paper leaks in the last 7 years.

The unfortunate truth is that the Indian examination system is up for sale to the rich, causing millions of students to suffer.

The issue is systemic… pic.twitter.com/PJpdjKK3jn

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) July 22, 2024

He was cautioned by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, who said casting aspersions on all exams would have serious consequences for the future of students who have passed these exams and for the Indian education system.

“This is not right,” said Birla while Pradhan attacked Gandhi saying the Congress-led UPA government had mooted a bill in 2010 to prevent educational malpractices but succumbed to pressure from private colleges.

“We had the courage to bring the bill,” said Pradhan condemning Rahul’s remarks calling all exams a fraud.

Earlier responding to SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and Congress leader Manickam Tagore, Pradhan said 240 exams had been held since the NDA came to power in 2014 and five crore students had applied for these.

Pradhan said there had been no paper leaks since 2014 and the instant NEET UG case saw anomalies only in Patna and surrounding centres where an FIR has been lodged and the CBI is acting.

“The Supreme Court is hearing the matter right now,” said Pradhan dismissing any possibility of scrapping the NEET.

Pradhan said NEET was mooted in 2010 under a Congress-led dispensation and implemented following two Supreme Court orders calling for a uniform national level exam.

The minister said the best NEET UG performance this season has been by the poor, SC and ST students.