‘Education Mafia’: Congress Accuses Modi Govt of Monopolizing Education System Amid NEET-UG Controversy
New Delhi: Amid the growing clamour for cancellation of the controversy-ridden National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET)-UG 2024 exam over alleged malpractices, Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday criticized the central government, asserting that the BJP-RSS administration has promoted an “education mafia” by monopolizing the entire education system. The Congress leader also demanded a re-examination of the NEET-UG. In a post on ‘X’ in Hindi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge wrote,” Modi Government has told the honourable Supreme Court that no paper has been leaked in NEET-UG! This blatant lie is being told to lakhs of youth. Their future is being ruined. The Ministry of Education has said that “irregularities/cheating have taken place only in a few places” – this is misleading.”
He further claimed that the Narendra Modi-led government is “bent on destroying our education system.” “Be it NCERT books or leakage in exams – Modi government is bent on destroying our education system,” the Congress leader further wrote. Additionally, Kharge demanded that all “paper leak scams” should be thoroughly investigated under the supervision of the Supreme Court, and strict action should be taken against the culprits. “The Modi government cannot escape from its misdeeds,” reads his post on ‘X’. The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government is under scrutiny from the opposition due to irregularities during the NEET-UG exam 2024.
मोदी सरकार ने माननीय सुप्रीम कोर्ट को बताया है कि NEET-UG में कोई पेपर लीक नहीं हुआ है !
लाखों युवाओं से ये सफ़ेद झूठ बोला जा रहा है। उनके भविष्य को बर्बाद किया जा रहा है।
शिक्षा मंत्रालय ने कहा है कि “केवल कुछ जगहों पर अनियमितताएं/चीटिंग हुई हैं” — ये गुमराह करने वाली बात… pic.twitter.com/HNQYvHjpDx
— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) July 6, 2024
Scrapping NEET exam in entirety would ‘seriously jeopardise’ honest candidates: Centre to Supreme Court
The Central government on Friday told the Supreme Court that, in the absence of any proof of any large-scale breach of confidentiality in the NEET-UG 2024 examination, it would not be rational to scrap the entire examination. Scrapping the NEET-UG exam held on May 5 in its entirety would “seriously jeopardise” the lakhs of honest candidates who attempted the question paper in 2024, said the Ministry of Education.
For the past two months, the National Testing Agency (NTA), which is responsible for conducting the NEET UG and the Union Education Ministry have been at the centre of media debates and protests by students and political parties over alleged large-scale malpractices ranging from question paper leak to impersonation in the test held on May 5. Originally held on May 5, NTA reconducted a re-test for the medical entrance examination on June 23 for 1563 candidates. Out of the total, only 813 appeared for the single largest medical entrance examination.
NEET UG 2024: Suspected Key Conspirator Arrested
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested the suspected key conspirator in connection with the irregularities in the NEET-UG case. The suspected key conspirator, identified as Aman Singh, was arrested in Dhanbad, Jharkhand.
The Centre has filed an affidavit on a batch of petitions pending before the apex court seeking direction to recall NEET-UG 2024 results and conduct the examination afresh, alleging paper leakage and malpractices in the test held.
NEET UG 2024 Counselling Deferred
The NEET UG 2024 counselling has been deferred till further notice, official sources were quoted as saying by news agency ANI. Previously, the counselling for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test-Undergraduate (NEET-UG) 2024 was scheduled to commence today, July 6, 2024. The Counselling for successful candidates for Seats under 15% All India Quota and 100% including 85% State quota seats of Central Institutions (ABVIMS & RML Hospital/VMMC & Safdarjung Hospital/ESIC)/ Central Universities (including DU/ BHU /AMU)/ AIIMS/ JIPMER and Deemed Universities, will be conducted by the MCC/DGHS for Undergraduate Medical / Dental Courses.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led central government over the NEET-UG row and said that the future of lakhs of youth is simply unsafe in their hands.
The whole NEET-UG issue is getting worse by the day. The non-biological PM and his biological Education Minister are adding further proof to their demonstrated incompetence and insensitivity. The future of lakhs of our youth is simply unsafe in their hands pic.twitter.com/SIBcvZO4J7
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) July 6, 2024
“The whole NEET-UG issue is getting worse by the day. The non-biological PM and his biological Education Minister are adding further proof to their demonstrated incompetence and insensitivity. The future of lakhs of our youth is simply unsafe in their hands,” the Congress leader posted on X.
