JEE paper leak: Cong seeks SC-monitored probe

New Delhi: The Congress on Saturday demanded a Supreme Court-monitored probe into the alleged manipulation of JEE Mains examination after the CBI arrested seven persons in this connection.

The Congress has also demanded answers from the BJP government, saying that the Education Ministry and the National Testing Agency (NTA) are responsible for conducting examinations in a transparent manner and why they are not held accountable.

The party's students wing, NSUI, also announced protests across the country on Monday on the issue. Addressing a joint press conference, Congress spokesperson Gourav Vallabh, Delhi Congress leader Alka Lamba and NSUI national president Neeraj Kundan said that how can students be assured that such frauds have not happened in other exams conducted by the NTA.

If one of the most prestigious entrance examinations of the country (JEE) is not spared by these frauds, then what is the quality of future professionals generated, they asked.

"We demand an inquiry into the entire fraud under the supervision of a sitting Supreme Court judge as this is an issue related to the future of our country," Vallabh told reporters.

"Is it not the responsibility that the government should ensure that every student out of 22 lakh applicants who appeared for JEE Main exams 2021 to get a fair chance as their future is at stake," he said.

Citing the chronology of paper leaks, he mentioned that Vyapam, SSC-2017, CBSE Class X and XII-2018, entrance exams in Haryana, JEE main 2020 and the latest case.

"The only one thing that is common in all these examinations is that they have messed up the future of students of our country. The "Paper Leak Government" is answerable to every youth of our country who is not able to get a deserving job or seat in a reputed institute due to endless paper leaks," he said.

Lamba alleged that paper leaks are happening under BJP governments and dubbed it as the "Bechte Jao Paper" party where the future of students and the country is at stake. She also demanded that the guilty be brought to book as fast as possible and a trial held in a fast-track court.