The central government is set to usher in a landmark change in the ‘NEET (UG)’ examination system, which is conducted nationwide for admissions into medical education courses. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has made it clear that, with the goal of permanently putting an end to the question paper leaks and examination irregularities that occurred in the past, the NEET exam will be conducted entirely in online mode — that is, in Computer Based Test (CBT) mode — from next year (2027). He revealed that this crucial decision was taken based on the recommendations of the ‘Radhakrishnan Committee’, set up by the central government to bring transparency and reforms in the conduct of examinations.
The Minister advised students to begin aligning their preparation with this online format right away. He also mentioned that discussions are underway regarding further decentralization of exam administration in the coming days, and that the government is reviewing the necessary technical and logistical arrangements for the same.
Rahul Gandhi Has an Inferiority Complex…
Dharmendra Pradhan expressed strong anger, stating that Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi is playing politics with students’ futures by exploiting the NEET issue. Remarking that Rahul Gandhi suffers from an inferiority complex, the Minister said that while the Opposition leader has the right to ask questions, it is wrong to create unnecessary fear and confusion among students. He lashed out at Rahul Gandhi for allegedly misrepresenting an incident involving a student from Nagpur who had selected Abu Dhabi as an exam center. The Minister pointed out that the student had personally chosen Abu Dhabi on the portal, after which the National Testing Agency (NTA) spoke with the family and arranged for the student to appear for the exam in Nagpur itself — yet Rahul Gandhi made a big post about it. He demanded that if Rahul Gandhi has even a shred of accountability, he should apologize to the nation.
Protests at Jantar Mantar… Hand of Extremists’ ‘B-Team’
The Minister reacted sharply to demonstrations by youth joint organizations such as the ‘Cockroach Janata Party’ (CJP), which have been holding continuous protests at Jantar Mantar demanding the Education Minister’s resignation over paper leaks and delays in recruitments. While acknowledging that everyone in a democracy has the right to protest, he questioned the real intentions behind the agitations. “The very forces that want to break the country (Tukde Tukde gang) are the ones beating drums at Jantar Mantar today. Is there even a single genuine student there? They are all like a ‘B-team of extremists’,” said Dharmendra Pradhan in sensational remarks.
He added that the attempts by opposition parties and protesters to create fear and confusion among students had failed, and that the youth, trusting the government systems, had kept their focus on the examinations.
Iron Fist on the Paper Mafia
The Minister stated that strict action will be taken to ensure no irregularities of any kind occur in the future, and that society, teachers, and parents will be made partners in safeguarding the transparency of examinations. He warned that stringent legal action will be taken against those who spread fear and against the paper mafia that has infiltrated the system, and that their activities will not be tolerated. He made it clear that their responsibility is to conduct prestigious examinations like NEET and UGC-NET in a completely flawless manner. On this occasion, Minister Dharmendra Pradhan also recalled that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been continuously and closely monitoring the conduct of these examinations and has effectively discharged his responsibilities.