NEW DELHI: Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting a debate in Parliament on the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) on Wednesday in the wake of the paper leak row in connection with the medical entrance exam.
Saying that the paper leak issue is a “betrayal of a lifetime dream” for many, Rahul said, “Today, these students and their families are looking up to us, their public representatives, to take bold and decisive steps to resolve the issue.”
“Our students deserve answers,” the Congress MP said, adding that a “parliamentary debate is the first step towards rebuilding and restoring their faith”.
“Given the urgency of the matter, I request the government to facilitate a debate in the House tomorrow. I believe that it would be fitting if you were to lead this debate in the interest of the students,” he said.
The NEET Undergraduate 2024 exam was taken by around 23.33 lakh students, and the alleged irregularities in its conduct, including a question paper leak, have led to cases being filed in courts, including the Supreme Court, and an inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The central agency on June 23 filed an FIR in connection with the alleged irregularities in the exam held on May 5 on a reference from the Union education ministry.
In the letter, Rahul said the Opposition’s request for a debate on this issue was denied in both Houses of Parliament on June 28. He said the Opposition requested a discussion on this issue again on Monday. He said Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla had “given assurance to the Opposition that he would discuss the matter with the government”.
“Our aim is to engage constructively to find a way forward. At this moment, our only concern is the welfare of nearly 24 lakh NEET aspirants across India. Lakhs of families have made tremendous personal sacrifices to support their children,” said Rahul.
Rahul said the NEET examination deserves immediate attention because “it has exposed the deep rot in our higher education system”.
“The past seven years have seen over 70 paper leaks, affecting over 2 crore students. The government’s move to postpone other examinations and replace the Director General of the National Testing Agency is a move to cover up the systemic breakdown of our centralised testing system,” said Rahul.
Since the beginning of the 18th Lok Sabha, the Opposition – which has come back to the House with greater numbers – has been aggressively seeking a debate on the NEET paper leak issue in both Houses.
On Friday, the face-off between the government and the Opposition led to the adjournment of the Lok Sabha until Monday. In the Rajya Sabha, a lacklustre debate followed after a couple of adjournments and staging of a walkout by Opposition members.
Agencies

Agencies