During a meeting of the parliamentary faction, the Prime Minister made a serious statement regarding the incident of the NEET exam material leak. He emphasized that the government reacted immediately to the situation and ensured that those responsible were held accountable.
The Prime Minister called this incident a 'grave sin' and noted that a re-assessment was conducted after the leak. According to sources, at the meeting, the Prime Minister directly stated that all individuals involved in the case had been arrested, with 13 arrests recorded so far.
He insisted that the harshest measures must be applied against those responsible so that no one dares to commit such an act in the future. The Prime Minister's statement came amid widespread indignation among students and parents across the country over the NEET material leak.
Since the future of millions of students is tied to this exam, the news of the leak quickly turned into a major national problem. Following this, the government instructed investigative bodies to conduct a thorough investigation into the case, which led to arrests and action against the guilty parties.
During the meeting, the Prime Minister also appealed to state governments to strengthen the examination system so that such leaks do not happen again. The government's position is clear: any form of corruption related to exams will not be tolerated, and the guilty will receive strict punishment.
According to the news agency PTI, citing a high-ranking government official, the Center is unlikely to dismiss Union Education Minister Dhandrendra Pradhan regarding the alleged leak of NEET examination materials, as it believes he cannot be held responsible for this incident.
Nevertheless, the government is prepared to positively consider the demand for compensation payments to the families of students who committed suicide following the alleged leak. Furthermore, the Center is open to serious engagement with protesters led by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP). However, according to the official, the government should show flexibility regarding the venue for negotiations instead of insisting on a specific location.
It is reported that the government has held several meetings on this matter involving Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Health Minister J. P. Naddu, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, and Pradhan.
These events took place after Naddu stated at a press conference on Wednesday that the Center is ready to discuss the alleged NEET leak in Parliament in any format and for any duration agreed upon by the Opposition. He emphasized: 'We wanted this issue to be discussed in Parliament. Whether it is a short or long discussion, you decide how much time you need. The government is ready to discuss, and the Opposition should not constantly change its objective.'
Naddu called on both the government and the Opposition to work together towards a long-term solution, naming Parliament as a suitable venue for resolving the issue. He noted: 'The children are ours, yours, and the future of the country. The responsibility to protect their future lies with the government and the Opposition. We must discuss every aspect and develop concrete policies.'
Earlier that same day, the opposition leader in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, demanded Pradhan's resignation, calling it one of the protesters' 'non-negotiable' demands. CJP protests against the alleged irregularities in the examination process have been ongoing since June. Their march to Parliament on July 20 saw students and supporters attempting to reach Parliament despite heavy police barricades, the use of batons, and tear gas. The march was eventually stopped near Parliament Street, where multi-level barriers were erected.
Amid student protests in Delhi triggered by the NEET exam leak, the ruling party of Tamil Nadu, Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK), has once again stated its demand to completely abolish the medical entrance examination NEET.
The party emphasized that its opposition is directed not only against the irregularities that occurred during the examination but also against the NEET system itself. TVK insists that control over the entire education system, including medical education, must belong to the states. To achieve this goal, according to the party's statement, education should be moved from the Concurrent List of the Constitution to the State List.
If such a change is currently impossible, the party proposes creating a temporary concurrent list that would grant states the right to make decisions on all educational matters, including medical education. The party considers this the most sustainable and practical solution, noting that Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay had previously expressed a clear opinion on this matter.
TVK also criticized the main opposition party, DMK, without naming it. The party accused DMK of using politics for votes, stating that it will not participate in politics based on false promises to voters or claiming others' achievements. It was noted that DMK had promised to cancel NEET before the 2021 legislative assembly elections.
These statements came at a time when rapper Terukkural Arivu was chanting slogans against NEET near the Tamil Nadu secretariat. Following this, he was detained by the police. This situation also heightened the political atmosphere in the state. TVK confirmed that the complete cancellation of NEET, granting states full control over education, and increasing the role of states in educational policy are its unwavering and clear position, and the party stated that it will not compromise on this issue.
