'Amrit Kaal' proving to be 'Mrit Kaal' for students; education minister must resign: Congress on NEET row

New Delhi: Amid the NEET cancellation row, the Congress on Saturday alleged that under the Modi government, the 'Amrit Kaal' is proving to be "Mrit Kaal (era of death)" for students preparing for recruitment examinations and demanded Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation.

The opposition party claimed that Pradhan doesn't appear to be cut out for the task and said that while Prime Minister Narendra Modi gives great publicity to his annual "Pariksha pe Charcha extravaganza", what is needed is "Pariksha ki Samiksha (review of exams)".

Taking a swipe at Modi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said he must hold a "Pariksha leaks pe charcha (discussion on exam leaks)", asserting that mere silence will achieve nothing.

"Under the Modi government, the 'Amrit Kaal' is proving to be 'Mrit Kaal' for students preparing for recruitment examinations," Kharge said in a post in Hindi on X.

"According to reports, several students have committed suicide due to the trauma caused by the NEET paper leak scandal. Ritik Mishra from Lakhimpur Kheri, 20-year-old Anshika Pandey from Delhi, Pradeep Meghwal from Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan, and a student from Bengaluru residing in Goa -- all have taken this tragic, suicidal step," Kharge said.

"Some had harboured this dream since childhood; others staked everything on fulfilling their families' expectations, spending years in preparation. Yet, the Modi government's corrupt and incompetent system has trampled upon their dreams," he said.

Under the Modi regime, more than 90 examination papers have been leaked, he claimed, adding that over 90 million students and their families have been adversely affected.

"The raging fire of unemployment is already destroying the future of the youth. Now, a paper-leak mafia -- operating under the patronage of the BJP -- is tearing to shreds the government's claims of conducting examinations in a fair and transparent manner," the Congress chief said.

"Prime Minister Modi has now even started engaging in 'fact-checking' himself... Yesterday, he tweeted about the 'Ease of Living', yet he maintained a complete silence regarding the NEET paper leak and the ensuing student suicides," Kharge said.

The officials implicated in the 2024 NEET paper leak have not faced any punishment and instead, they have been rewarded with lucrative and plum postings, he alleged.

This is precisely why the future of the youth is being "looted" year after year, he claimed.

The situation has become so dire that even the Delhi Medical Association has now written a letter to the Union education minister, Kharge said.

"The water has now risen above our heads; the situation has become completely untenable," he said.

"The Union education minister must resign immediately," Kharge said.

Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh flagged the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education's recommendations on the National Testing Agency (NTA), sharing a media report on it on X.

"The Modi Government's education ecosystem -- populated by third-rate academic mediocrities -- has proven itself to be supremely incompetent, politicised, and corrupt over the last few years," Ramesh alleged.

"Every passing month brings up a new crisis - the NCERT textbook row, the UGC's draft regulations on the appointment of VCs, the constant paper leaks, the NAAC bribery scandal, the ICHR scam, the blatantly unconstitutional withholding of Samagra Shiksha funds, the absentee Vice Chancellors appointed in several key Central Universities, and the large-scale vacancies in teaching positions in higher educational institutions," he said.

Now it is evident that the Education Ministry's incompetence is matched only by its minister's arrogance, Ramesh said.

"When asked by the media why his Ministry did not heed the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education's recommendations on the NTA, the Minister refused to take the Parliamentary Standing Committee's report seriously because it has 'members from the opposition'," he said.

The fact is that of the 30 members of Parliament, 17 are from the BJP itself, Ramesh pointed out.

Part of the committee's recommendations includes a reiteration of the K Radhakrishnan Expert Committee's report that the minister cites. The minister's refusal to acknowledge the Parliamentary Standing Committee is a dismissal of his own party's MPs and the Indian Parliament's bipartisan traditions, Ramesh said.

"The PM takes great pride and gives great publicity to his annual Pariksha pe Charcha extravaganza. What the need of the hour is a 'Pariksha ki Samiksha'. The Education Minister doesn't appear to be cut out for the task," the Congress leader claimed.

His remarks came a day after Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan announced that the NEET-UG re-examination would be held on June 21 and said the medical entrance exam would be computer-based from next year onwards as part of reforms in view of allegations of irregularities linked to it.

Addressing a press conference, Pradhan said students' future remained the government's topmost priority, adding that there would be "zero tolerance" for any irregularities found in the conduct of the NEET-UG. Strict action was being taken, he said.

The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET)- Undergraduate held on May 3 was cancelled following allegations of irregularities in the examination process.

Informing that the duration of the re-test has been extended by 15 minutes, Pradhan said the candidates would also get to choose their preferred test cities again and that they would get their admit cards by June 14, he said.

The central government would also coordinate transport arrangements for the students with the state governments, he said.