Rahul said- Students accepted that Indian education system is a fraud; Know the minister’s reply
#Newa Bureau July22,2024
During the Question Hour of the Lok Sabha, opposition leaders including Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, SP MP Akhilesh Yadav targeted Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET-UG paper leak case. They questioned whether he would take responsibility for the matter and resign. To this, Pradhan said that this is not a nationwide paper leak and the government has nothing to hide, all the facts have been put forward. This was followed by a sharp reaction from the opposition.
A heated debate broke out in Parliament on Monday when Rahul Gandhi clashed with Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the alleged leak in NEET 2024. Rahul said, ‘It is clear to the whole country that there is a very serious problem in our examination system, not only in NEET but in all major examinations. The minister has blamed everyone except himself. I don’t think he even understands the basic principles of what is happening here.’
The Congress leader expressed concern over the integrity of the Indian examination system, claiming that lakhs of students believe it is fraudulent. “Lakhs of people believe that if you are rich and have money, you can buy the Indian examination system and the opposition also thinks the same,” he said, demanding a separate discussion on the matter on a separate day.
However, Pradhan refuted Rahul Gandhi’s allegations, saying no paper was leaked during his tenure. “There has been no evidence of paper leak in the last 7 years. This (NEET) matter is going on in the Supreme Court. I can say with full responsibility that after NTA, more than 240 exams have been conducted successfully,” he said.
In an attempt to corner the education minister, Rahul asked, “Since NEET is a systematic issue, what exactly are you doing to fix this issue?” Pradhan responded sharply, saying, “Just shouting does not make a lie true. It is highly condemnable for the opposition leader to say that the country’s examination system is rubbish.”
He further said that the government has brought a new law aimed at tackling malpractices and irregularities in competitive examinations. The minister alleged that similar bills were introduced in the previous UPA regime, but the ruling Congress scrapped them under pressure. The discussion became even more heated when Samajwadi Party MP Akhilesh Yadav joined the controversy, criticising the government’s way of dealing with the issue.
Akhilesh said, ‘This government will create a record of paper leaks. There are some centres where more than 2,000 students have passed. As long as this minister is there, students will not get justice.’
Responding to the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister, Pradhan said that the results have been made public as per the Supreme Court’s directions. He said, ‘I do not want to do politics, but I have a list of how many papers were leaked during Akhilesh Yadav’s tenure.’
