New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi told the Lok Sabha on Tuesday that the government is working on a war footing to curb incidents of paper leaks, while asserting that those playing with the future of youngsters will not be spared.
The prime minister’s comments came amid a raging row over alleged irregularities, including paper leaks, in competitive examinations such as the NEET and the NET. The opposition has been demanding a discussion on the issue in Parliament.
Replying to a two-day debate on the Motion of Thanks to the president’s address to a joint sitting of Parliament, Modi said arrests are being made across the country in connection with the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) issue.
“The president expressed concerns about paper leaks in her address. I also want to tell students and youngsters that the government is serious about controlling such incidents and we are taking back-to-back steps on a war footing to fulfill our responsibilities,” he said.
“Those playing with the future of youngsters will not be spared, arrests are being made across the country in the NEET issue. The Centre has already framed strict laws and important steps are being taken to strengthen the entire system of conducting examinations,” the prime minister added.
Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi wrote to Modi earlier in the day, requesting the prime minister to facilitate a debate on the NEET issue in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.
Gandhi said the opposition’s request to discuss the issue related to the medical entrance exam was denied in both houses of Parliament on June 28 as well as on Monday and added that the Lok Sabha Speaker had assured the opposition that he would discuss the matter with the government.
In the line of fire over the alleged irregularities in the NEET and the PhD entrance NET, the Centre removed National Testing Agency (NTA) Director General Subodh Singh last week and notified a high-level panel headed by former Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chief R Radhakrishnan to ensure a transparent, smooth and fair conduct of examinations through the NTA.
While the NEET is under the scanner over several irregularities, including alleged paper leaks, the UGC-NET was cancelled as the Education ministry received inputs that the integrity of the exam was compromised. Both matters are being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Two other exams — CSIR-UGC NET and NEET-PG — were cancelled as a preemptive step.
Lok Sabha adjourned sine die
The first session of the 18th Lok Sabha was adjourned sine die on Tuesday after passage of the Motion of Thanks on the President’s address to the joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament.
The session, which began on June 24, had seven sittings that were spread over 34 hours and the productivity of the House was 103 per cent, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said.
The session saw 539 Lok Sabha members take oath or make affirmation over the first two days.
Birla was elected as the Lok Sabha speaker on June 26 and President Droupadi Murmu addressed the joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament on June 27.
Over 68 members participated in the debate on the Motion of Thanks on the President’s address moved by BJP member Anurag Thakur and seconded by Bansuri Swaraj.
The debate on the Motion of Thanks lasted for 18 hours, Birla said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi replied to the debate on the Motion of Thanks on Tuesday.
