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Rahul Gandhi writes to PM Modi, seeks debate in Parliament on NEET issue
Rahul Gandhi said it would be fitting if the Prime Minister were to lead the debate in the interest of the students
A day after he attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Lok Sabha over the alleged irregularities in the conduct of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) that has taken the country by storm, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Tuesday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking a debate in Parliament on the issue.
Gandhi said, “I am writing to request for a debate in Parliament on NEET. As you are aware, the Opposition’s request for a debate on this issue was denied in both Houses of Parliament on June 28. Yesterday, the Opposition requested a discussion on this issue again. The honourable Speaker of the Lok Sabha had given assurance to the Opposition that he would discuss the matter with the government.”
Calling the alleged paper leak a “betrayal of a lifetime dream”, Gandhi said that “lakhs of families have made tremendous personal sacrifices to support their children.” “(They are) looking up to us, their public representatives, to take bold and decisive steps to resolve the issue. The NEET examination deserves immediate attention because it has exposed the deep rot in our higher education system,” he said.
He said that the aim is to engage “constructively to find a way forward”, saying that the “only concern is the welfare of nearly 24 lakh NEET aspirants across India.”
“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,” he said.
He added, “Our students deserve answers. 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.”
Starting with the uproar over NEET UG results on June 4, subsequent events including the cancellation of UGC NET, have raised questions about the credibility of these exams. Amid political criticism and legal petitions, the government has initiated investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the issue.
