SUNIL NEGI
Opposition leaders across the country rallied behind student protesters on Friday, calling the reported resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan a direct result of nationwide agitation over paper leaks and irregularities in competitive exams, even as the government maintained that no official communication had been received from the minister.
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In a series of posts on social media, senior Congress leaders hailed what they described as a “people’s victory.” Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said the youth of India had started to take the country back from those who tried to suppress their voice, and that an “undemocratic and oppressive government was forced to bend to the will of the people of India.” Addressing students directly, she urged them to stay strong and brave, calling them the soul of the nation. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge termed it the victory of “India’s Students’ Echo” and said it was the defeat of what he called the Prime Minister’s stubbornness. He added that it was also a victory for families who had lost children, and demanded that the Prime Minister apologize to the young generation and take strict action against those who had used lathis, batons and pellet guns against protesters. Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi went further, calling the resignation a “huge step towards reshaping our education system.” While congratulating students for standing firm to protect democracy and the Constitution, he listed two pending demands: an apology from the Prime Minister and action against those responsible for violence against students. He also broadened the message to farmers, laborers and the poor, saying the time had come to remove the government.
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) also issued a formal statement through its Polit Bureau. The party congratulated students and youth for fighting for accountability after paper leaks that it said had led to the unfortunate suicides of 22 students. The CPI(M) said the victory would not have been possible without the resolve of students supported by various sections of society who refused to relent despite repressive measures. While welcoming the stepping down of the Education Minister, the party demanded that the National Testing Agency be disbanded immediately as it was primarily responsible for repeated leaks. It reiterated its call for decentralization of exams and for scrapping the National Education Policy 2020, which it alleged promotes commercialization, centralization and communalization.
The political reactions came even as two Union Ministers addressed a press conference in New Delhi to respond to the developments.
Without naming the viral letter, the ministers said the government remained committed to the integrity of examinations and to the future of students. They stated that all allegations of irregularities in NEET-UG were being investigated thoroughly and that steps had already been taken to strengthen the examination process, including wider consultations on moving to a computer-based format. They appealed to students not to believe in misinformation and assured that the government would not allow the careers of any meritorious candidate to be compromised. The ministers also defended the National Education Policy, saying it was aimed at expanding access and reducing pressure on a single exam system.The ministers assured that all their demands have been met including the monetary compensation issue to be decided as per norms but assuring to pay the maximum compensation to the bereaved families if those died including wudrawing all the police cases against the protestors in Delhi and elsewhere.
Representatives of the CJP, , who were present at the briefing, separately called for an independent judicial inquiry into the sequence of events surrounding the exams and the protests. They were satisfied that their main demand of the resignation of the union education minister has been fulfilled and all the cases will be withdrawn in writing including adequate monetary compensation to the bereaved families of the students who committed suicides after the NEET paper leaks. The CJP members said that beyond administrative changes, there was a need to restore public trust in the institutions that conduct national tests. They urged the government to publish a white paper on all paper leak cases in the last three years, to compensate families affected, and to ensure that students are not subjected to force during peaceful demonstrations. They emphasized that any reform must be carried out with transparency and in consultation with student bodies, teachers and state governments.
With opposition parties now demanding the disbanding of the NTA and a review of NEP 2020, and with civil society groups pressing for judicial oversight, the issue is set to dominate the upcoming session of Parliament. The government, meanwhile, has said it will take all necessary steps to ensure free, fair and transparent examinations, while maintaining that the final decision on any ministerial change rests with the Prime Minister.
