UGC-NET cancellation, NEET ‘paper leak’: Unease in Sangh, ABVP says when people ask questions, govt must answer

The cancellation of the UGC-NET examination and police probes in Bihar and Gujarat into the alleged leak of the NEET-UG question paper have led to unease in the BJP and RSS affiliates including the student wing ABVP which said Thursday that “jab praja ke taraf se sawaal hai, to sarkar ke taraf se jawab hona chahiye (when people ask questions, the government must answer).”

Stating there was a “question mark” on the “credibility” of the National Testing Agency (NTA) that conducts these examinations, ABVP national general secretary Yagywalkya Shukla, referring to the NEET fiasco, told The Indian Express: “There is a perception of mismanagement by NTA. How is it that question papers are reaching 15-20 minutes late in certain centres? How is it that 7-8 students from the same centre get 100% marks? How did 67 students get 720 marks? There is a question mark on NTA’s credibility. Aur jab praja ke taraf se sawaal hai, to sarkar ke taraf se jawab hona chahiye.”

“Could it be that when the national leadership had its attention elsewhere (in the Lok Sabha elections), something wrong happened? The role of NTA is under the cloud of suspicion. ABVP demands that the entire episode should be investigated by the CBI. The role of NTA should be probed. The process of grace marks should be reviewed. Our delegation has already met Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over this.”

According to Shukla, the ABVP had started an agitation on June 5. “We raised questions over the grace marks issue on June 6. And on June 8, we declared a nationwide agitation. The government must work towards ensuring transparency in examinations so that trust of students in the system is retained. Millions of dreams, of both students and parents, are associated with