NEET Exam row: 'PM Modi acted immediately to safeguard students' interests', says Union Minister Kumaraswamy
New Delhi: Amidst the controversy over results and alleged irregularities in the NEET 2024 conduct this year, Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy has stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has directed the concerned minister to safeguard the interest of the students.
"According to my knowledge, PM Modi acted immediately after it came to his notice. In the first cabinet itself, he advised the concerned minister how to...safeguard the interest of the students. He has given the direction," Kumaraswamy told reporters, as per ANI report.
Also Read:NEET 2024 Controversy: Over 4000 Students stage protest in Hyderabad Demanding Re-NEET
"PM Modi encouraged citizens of nearly 124 countries to do Yoga every day and keep good health. I congratulate him," he said after the event.
Earlier on Thursday, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Modi and said he it seems PM Modi is not bothered about NEET and is instead more concerned regarding the election of the Speaker.
Rahul Gandhi also said that the Congress party will raise the issue in the Parliament.
Recently, Patna Police arrested several people including some candidates who had taken the NEET exam in recent days.
Meanwhile, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said the government is working to further strengthen the National Testing Agency (NTA) by "reconsidering important things." He also assured action against those responsible for the alleged irregularities in the conduct of the examinations.
Speaking to ANI, Pradhan said, "In a democracy, everyone has their views. It is our job to listen to everyone. Our responsibility is to run a process-driven government, it is our responsibility to speak the truth and accept truth. Few students have doubts about NTA (National Testing Agency) and we will have to accept this."
"The government has decided to form a committee and experts will be part of that committee. All the important things will be reconsidered and the NTA will be strengthened further. Those who are responsible for it (discrepancies) will be held accountable," he said.
The Education Minister earlier announced the formation of a high-level committee to probe into the issues pertaining to the functioning of NTA.
This year's National Eligibility-and-Entrance Test Undergraduate (NEET-UG) 2024 Examination was mired in controversies after the allegations of paper leak came to light. Around 13 people, including four examinees and their family members, were arrested in Bihar for their alleged involvement in the paper leak of the NEET-UG exam. Patna police sources had previously claimed that the NEET-UG question papers along with their answers were provided to around 20 aspirants a day before the date of the exam i.e. May 5, 2024.
Then, the Economic Offences Unit (EOU) of Bihar Police, which took over the investigation, revealed that the brokers involved in the NEET paper leak scam took between Rs 30 lakh to Rs 50 lakh from each of the medical aspirants in exchange for giving them the question paper of the NEET UG 2024 question paper ahead of the examination.
Multiple pleas have been filed before the High Courts and the Supreme Court seeking an investigation into the alleged paper leak scam. Some of the pleas demanded the scrapping of the NEET UG 2024 exam and holding a retest.
Meanwhile, NEET aspirants across the country have been protesting against the alleged paper leak issue in NEET UG 2024 and the National Testing Agency's policy of awarding grace marks to 1563 candidates. While finally the NTA decided to scrap the grace marks, the issue of alleged paper leak is still unsolved.
Although earlier, the Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had denied such allegations of paper leak, recently he assured action against NTA officials if they were found guilty of the "irregularities" in the conduct of the MBBS entrance exam.
Speaking to ANI on the matter, the Minister said, "On the recommendations of the Supreme Court, the order has been given for re-test of 1,563 candidates. Some irregularities have come to light in two places. I assure students and parents that the government has taken this seriously." Improvement in NTA, which conducts NEET exam, is needed, he added.
The NEET 2024 issue has now taken a political turn as opposition parties are accusing the government over the allegations of rigging, paper leaks, and corruption. Recently Congress leader Rahul Gandhi argued that the BJP-ruled states were the "epicentre of paper leak".
While hearing pleas concerning the NEET examination, the apex court had on June 18 said that even if there was "0.001 per cent negligence" on the part of anyone in the conduct of the examination, it should be thoroughly dealt with.
The Apex Court last week sought responses from the Centre and the NTA on a plea for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into allegations of question paper leak and other irregularities in the exam.
