Do not politicise NEET issue, Modi tells Oppn
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday slammed the Opposition for politicising the issues surrounding the National Eligibility-cumEntrance Test (NEET)-UG exams.
The Prime Minister said that he had expected all parties to speak on the issue in the Parliament by “rising above politics”, but found it unfortunate that such a sensitive issue was sacrificed to “politics”.
“The President in her address mentioned paper leak. I had expected all parties to speak by rising above party politics. But, unfortunately, they sacrificed even such a sensitive and important issue, an issue related to the future of the youth to politics. What can be a bigger misfortune than this?,” he said in the Rajya Sabha.
The Prime Minister was replying to the debate on the motion to thank President Droupadi Murmu’s address in the Rajya Sabha.
He further assured the youth that the government would not spare those involved in the irregularities in the NEET-UG exams.
“I assure the youth of the country that this government is not going to spare those who cheated them. One action after the other is being taken to ensure that those who toyed with the future of the youth of my country get the strictest punishment. In Parliament, we have formed strict laws against these irregularities,” PM Modi said.
“We are strengthening the entire system so that the youth of my country do not have to be in a situation of apprehension in future and that they confidently showcase their capability and get what is rightfully theirs...”
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government is under fire from the Opposition on allegations of paper leaks pertaining to the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET).
On Monday, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi referred to the NEET-UG as a “commercial exam” and said that students appearing for NEET alleged that the exam is designed for “rich students and not meritorious students”.
Participating in the debate on the motion of thanks to the President for her address to a joint sitting of the Parliament, Gandhi targeted the BJP-led government over the paper leak issue and said that there is fear among everyone in the nation.
“NEET students spend years and years preparing for their exams. Their family supports them financially, and emotionally and the truth is that NEET students today do not believe in the exam because they are convinced that the exam is designed for rich people, not meritorious people,” Rahul Gandhi said in the Lok Sabha.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on June 23 registered a criminal case over the alleged irregularities in the conduct of the NEET-UG and UGCNET exams by the NTA and formed special teams to probe the matter.