The Opposition attempted to corner the government in Lok Sabha as the Monsoon Session began on Monday (July 22), and raised the issue of NEET paper leak. Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party MP Akhilesh Yadav also asked questions over the matter and Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan responded to the queries during the 'Question Hour'.
Rahul Gandhi slammed Pradhan over the paper leak and said that he has so far "blamed everybody except himself" over the paper leak matter.
What did Rahul Gandhi say?
"It is obvious to the whole country that there is a very serious problem in our examination system, not just in NEET but in all the major examinations. The minister (Dharmendra Pradhan) has blamed everybody except himself. I don't even think he understands the fundamentals of what is going on here," he said.
The LoP raised the concerns of the students affected due to paper leaks and said that they are convinced that the examination system of the country is "a fraud". He said that people of the country now believe if a person is rich, he can "buy the examination system".
"The issue is that there are millions of students in the country who are extremely concerned about what is going on and who are convinced that the Indian examination system is a fraud. Millions of people believe that if you are rich and you have money, you can buy the Indian examination system and this is the same feeling that the opposition has..." he said.
What did Akhilesh Yadav say?
Akhilesh Yadav took a jibe at the Centre and said that the government will "make a record of paper leaks".
"This government will make a record of paper leaks... There are some centres where more than 2,000 students have passed. As long as this minister (Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan) is there, the students will not get justice," he said.
Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan responds
"The government has nothing to hide. We have put all the facts before the Supreme Court. Right now, the Supreme Court is hearing the case. So let's wait and see what instructions the court gives. This House is open for any kind of discussion," Pradhan said in response to a question raised by Congress MP Manickam Tagore.
The Education Minister claimed that there had been no evidence of paper leaks in the last seven years, except for a "singular incident" in Patna during the recent NEET-UG held on May 5 this year.
"There is no evidence of paper leaks in the last seven years. This case is currently before the Supreme Court, and all the facts have come out. The Chief Justice of India is presiding over the case," he said.
"Since the establishment of the National Testing Agency (NTA), more than 240 exams have been conducted, with over 5 crore students applying and more than 4.5 crore students successfully participating in the examinations," he added.
When asked if he would resign from his position due to the alleged irregularities, Pradhan said, "I serve at the pleasure of my leader, PM Modi. When questions of accountability arise, our government will be answerable. Regarding anomalies and information about malpractice, out of 4700 cases, there is only one incident in Patna, and the CBI and police are taking action on it."
"Right now, the matter is before the Supreme Court, and the Chief Justice of India is personally presiding over the case," the Education Minister reiterated.
