Opposition to raise NEET issue in Parliament tomorrow, govt ready to respond
New Delhi/IBNS: Amid students' protests escalating across the country over alleged irregularities in the medical entrance exam NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test) and other competitive exams like the UGC-NET, the Opposition has decided to raise the issue in the Parliament on Friday, media reports said.
The idea is to attack the government over the issues, even though the day is dedicated to discussing the Motion of Thanks to the President's address to Parliament.
Meanwhile, the government is ready to answer any questions on the matter even if it comes up during the debate, NDTV reported quoting sources.
Every possible action has been taken on the NEET issue, from starting a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe to forming a special committee to look into it, sources told NDTV.
The committee report is expected soon. Also, with the stringent rules against cheating and paper leaks coming into effect in this session, strong action will be taken against the culprits and a foundation will be laid for a robust education system, they said.
In case the matter comes up tomorrow, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan is likely to respond to it.
The opposition even booed during Pradhan's oath in Parliament on Monday over the NEET row.
The massive row over NEET also came up in President Droupadi Murmu's address to the joint session of parliament earlier in the day. The government, President Murmu said, is "committed to a fair investigation".
Confirming that the opposition will be attacking the government over NEET, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh told the media: "The mandate of the Lok Sabha polls is a personal, political and moral defeat of the Prime Minister. The opposition will remind him of this every day," he said.
The Opposition's decision to raise NEET before any other issue was taken at a meeting this evening amid massive public anger.
Since June 4, when the results of the premiere entrance examination were declared, protests and demonstrations rocked the country over allegations of paper leak and preferential marking.