Oppn raises paper leak issue in LS, govt accuses them of shedding crocodile tears

New Delhi: Amid a significant controversy over the NEET-UG paper leak case, the Opposition criticised the government on Monday, with Rahul Gandhi claiming students believe the entire exam system in the country is a “fraud.” Meanwhile, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan accused the Congress leader and his “cabal” of shedding crocodile tears.

Leading the Opposition’s attack in the Lok Sabha on the first day of the Monsoon Session, Gandhi asserted there is a severe problem with the country’s exam system, and Pradhan has not taken responsibility. “The minister has blamed everybody except himself.”

Under scrutiny, Pradhan countered that there has been no evidence of paper leaks in the last seven years. He attempted to corner the Congress and the Samajwadi Party, suggesting that examining the reality of paper leaks during the UPA regime and Akhilesh Yadav’s tenure in Uttar Pradesh would expose their failures.

The issue of alleged irregularities in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) 2024 for undergraduate medical courses has reached the Supreme Court. Hearing multiple petitions on Monday, the SC directed the IIT-Delhi Director to form a team of three experts to review a particular exam question and submit a report by Tuesday noon.

Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, stated that the entire country recognizes the serious problem in the examination system, not just in NEET but in all major exams. He alleged, “If you are rich and have money, you can buy the Indian examination system.”

In response to these allegations, Pradhan expressed frustration, deeming it unfortunate that Gandhi described the examination system as flawed. He denied the claims of paper leaks, stating that over 240 examinations have been conducted since the establishment of the National Testing Agency (NTA), with over five crore students participating.

Congress member Manickam Tagore cited 70 paper leaks in the past seven years and questioned the minister’s accountability. Pradhan responded: “I am here at the mercy of my leader, the prime minister, and whenever accountability comes, my government is collectively answerable.”

Pradhan maintained that the government is transparent and that all records are available. He highlighted that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is probing alleged irregularities in NEET-UG 2024, with six FIRs lodged. The NEET-UG is conducted by the NTA for admissions to various medical courses in government and private institutions.

Speaker Om Birla urged members to discuss the development of a better examination system rather than questioning all exams, noting that such doubts could negatively impact the perception of the Indian education system worldwide.

After the Speaker concluded his remarks, Gandhi wanted to speak but was disallowed. Gandhi and almost the entire Opposition members, including from TMC and DMK, walked out of the House.

Congress Deputy Leader Gaurav Gogoi and Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav also demanded Pradhan’s resignation and questioned the integrity of the exam system. Yadav called for the NTA to publish lists of exam centres with unusually high success rates, implying irregularities.

Pradhan hit back, questioning why the Congress-led government “failed” to pass bills to stop malpractices in educational institutions, including the Prohibition of Unfair Practices Bill, 2010, during its tenure. He accused the Opposition of shedding crocodile tears while ignoring past failures.

The Supreme Court is hearing a batch of petitions related to the controversy-ridden medical entrance exam, NEET-UG 2024. The CBI took over the probe into alleged irregularities in the medical entrance exam following a reference from the Union education ministry.

In February, The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Bill, 2024, which has provisions for a maximum jail term of 10 years and a fine up to Rs 1 crore, was passed by Parliament.

Revolutionary Socialist Party MP N K Premachandran demanded a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the NEET issue.”The credibility of the entire competitive examination system is lost...we demand a JPC probe,” he said.

The House also paid tributes to Nguyen Phu Trong, general secretary of Vietnam’s ruling Communist Party, who passed away on July 19.

Over 23.33 lakh students took the NEET-UG test on May 5 at 4,750 centres in 571 cities, includ