No one will be spared: Dharmendra Pradhan vows crackdown over NEET, CBSE fiasco
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said no one involved in exam irregularities or paper leaks would be spared, calling the NEET controversy "unfortunate" and promising strict action after a thorough investigation.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday said the government was making every possible effort to ensure a clean and fair NEET re-examination process and warned that no one responsible for irregularities or paper leaks would be spared.
Speaking exclusively to India Today, Pradhan admitted that the controversies surrounding NEET and CBSE examinations were “deeply unfortunate” and said such incidents should never have happened. He said the government had accepted responsibility and was working to ensure that mistakes were not repeated.
Pradhan said the NEET re-examination would be held on June 21 and that extensive security arrangements were being put in place. He said the government was adopting a “whole of government” approach involving both the Centre and state governments to secure every stage of the examination process, from preparation of question papers to the safe return of papers after the examination.
He said coordination would take place at the district level and that around 5,400 examination centres and nearly one lakh classrooms would be involved in conducting the exam for about 22 lakh students. He added that the government was trying to ensure that as many centres as possible operated in government institutions with strict standard operating procedures and security protocols.
The minister said students’ mental stress remained a key concern for the government. He said fees paid for the cancelled examination would be refunded and that no fee would be charged for the re-examination. He also said students were given the option to change their exam centres and around 2.5 to 3 lakh students had modified their preferred centres, which had been accommodated.
ACCEPTED OVER 70 OUT OF 102 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR NEET
Responding to questions on how irregularities could occur despite safeguards, especially when insiders were allegedly involved, Pradhan described the episode as “unfortunate” and said it should never have happened. He referred to the recommendations of the K Radhakrishnan committee formed after last year’s controversies and said the government had implemented over 70 short-term recommendations out of 102 recommendations made by the panel.
“Despite that, lapses happened. We feel pain and regret over it. We are accountable to the students and have no option except to apologise,” Pradhan said.
Pradhan said the Prime Minister’s Office was also monitoring the preparations and stressed that responsibility for conducting a fair examination rested with all levels of government. “The Prime Minister is monitoring the entire process,” he said, while adding that collective efforts were being made with state governments to ensure smooth conduct of the examination.
NTA TO MOVE TOWARDS COMPUTER-BASED NEET
On concerns surrounding the National Testing Agency, Pradhan said the agency was created following directions from the Supreme Court and was still evolving. He said he had confidence in the current leadership of the NTA and believed it would emerge as a strong technology-driven institution.
He also said the government planned to gradually shift NEET towards a computer-based format in the coming years, saying pen-and-paper examinations created fresh challenges. Pradhan added that discussions were also taking place about decentralising NEET in the future.
Defending the NTA, he pointed out that the agency conducts several other major examinations, including CUET, JEE and UGC-NET, and said those examinations were largely conducted smoothly. However, he acknowledged that the institution needed to be strengthened further.
CBSE FACED GLITCHES IN ON-SCREEN MARKING SYSTEM
Pradhan also addressed concerns over the CBSE examination process and clarified that the board had introduced on-screen marking this year to improve transparency in evaluating answer sheets. He said around 17 lakh students appeared for CBSE examinations and nearly 9.8 crore answer sheets were processed digitally.
He said on-screen evaluation was already being used by many universities and institutions, but admitted that CBSE should have made better preparations before implementing the system on such a large scale. He said technical glitches occurred because of increased load on the platform and payment gateway issues, but added that the government intervened to stabilise the system.
According to Pradhan, students have always had the option to seek revaluation after examinations and this year’s complaints were part of that broader process. He said the government expected around 15 to 20 per cent of students to continue seeking revaluation, similar to previous years.
The minister said directions had been issued to State Bank of India, Indian Bank, Canara Bank and Bank of Baroda to ensure smooth integration between banking platforms and the CBSE system. He said dry runs had already been conducted to test security features and load capacity.
RAHUL GANDHI REMARKS ‘BASELESS’, SAYS PRADHAN
Pradhan also responded to allegations raised by Rahul Gandhi regarding CBSE’s procurement process and the role of certain companies. He said CBSE had been instructed to ensure complete transparency in procurement decisions and warned that strict action would be taken if any wrongdoing was found.
“Whether it is a company, someone inside CBSE, someone outside, or even someone within the government, no one will be spared if any irregularity is found,” he said.
Criticising Rahul Gandhi’s remarks, Pradhan accused the Congress leader of making baseless allegations without fact-checking and claimed Gandhi frequently opposed India’s digital systems. However, he said the government remained open to answering legitimate questions raised in a democracy.
Reflecting on the wider issue of paper leaks, Pradhan said some people believed they could “break the system” using money and shortcuts. He said the government was determined to ensure that deserving students did not suffer because of such practices.
Pradhan said the government wanted speedy trials through special courts and strict punishment for those responsible in order to deter future malpractice. He admitted that the repeated controversies increased his own sense of responsibility as Education Minister but expressed confidence that reforms and tighter systems would eventually help eliminate paper leaks.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday said the government was making every possible effort to ensure a clean and fair NEET re-examination process and warned that no one responsible for irregularities or paper leaks would be spared.
Speaking exclusively to India Today, Pradhan admitted that the controversies surrounding NEET and CBSE examinations were “deeply unfortunate” and said such incidents should never have happened. He said the government had accepted responsibility and was working to ensure that mistakes were not repeated.
Pradhan said the NEET re-examination would be held on June 21 and that extensive security arrangements were being put in place. He said the government was adopting a “whole of government” approach involving both the Centre and state governments to secure every stage of the examination process, from preparation of question papers to the safe return of papers after the examination.
He said coordination would take place at the district level and that around 5,400 examination centres and nearly one lakh classrooms would be involved in conducting the exam for about 22 lakh students. He added that the government was trying to ensure that as many centres as possible operated in government institutions with strict standard operating procedures and security protocols.
The minister said students’ mental stress remained a key concern for the government. He said fees paid for the cancelled examination would be refunded and that no fee would be charged for the re-examination. He also said students were given the option to change their exam centres and around 2.5 to 3 lakh students had modified their preferred centres, which had been accommodated.
ACCEPTED OVER 70 OUT OF 102 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR NEET
Responding to questions on how irregularities could occur despite safeguards, especially when insiders were allegedly involved, Pradhan described the episode as “unfortunate” and said it should never have happened. He referred to the recommendations of the K Radhakrishnan committee formed after last year’s controversies and said the government had implemented over 70 short-term recommendations out of 102 recommendations made by the panel.
“Despite that, lapses happened. We feel pain and regret over it. We are accountable to the students and have no option except to apologise,” Pradhan said.
Pradhan said the Prime Minister’s Office was also monitoring the preparations and stressed that responsibility for conducting a fair examination rested with all levels of government. “The Prime Minister is monitoring the entire process,” he said, while adding that collective efforts were being made with state governments to ensure smooth conduct of the examination.
NTA TO MOVE TOWARDS COMPUTER-BASED NEET
On concerns surrounding the National Testing Agency, Pradhan said the agency was created following directions from the Supreme Court and was still evolving. He said he had confidence in the current leadership of the NTA and believed it would emerge as a strong technology-driven institution.
He also said the government planned to gradually shift NEET towards a computer-based format in the coming years, saying pen-and-paper examinations created fresh challenges. Pradhan added that discussions were also taking place about decentralising NEET in the future.
Defending the NTA, he pointed out that the agency conducts several other major examinations, including CUET, JEE and UGC-NET, and said those examinations were largely conducted smoothly. However, he acknowledged that the institution needed to be strengthened further.
CBSE FACED GLITCHES IN ON-SCREEN MARKING SYSTEM
Pradhan also addressed concerns over the CBSE examination process and clarified that the board had introduced on-screen marking this year to improve transparency in evaluating answer sheets. He said around 17 lakh students appeared for CBSE examinations and nearly 9.8 crore answer sheets were processed digitally.
He said on-screen evaluation was already being used by many universities and institutions, but admitted that CBSE should have made better preparations before implementing the system on such a large scale. He said technical glitches occurred because of increased load on the platform and payment gateway issues, but added that the government intervened to stabilise the system.
According to Pradhan, students have always had the option to seek revaluation after examinations and this year’s complaints were part of that broader process. He said the government expected around 15 to 20 per cent of students to continue seeking revaluation, similar to previous years.
The minister said directions had been issued to State Bank of India, Indian Bank, Canara Bank and Bank of Baroda to ensure smooth integration between banking platforms and the CBSE system. He said dry runs had already been conducted to test security features and load capacity.
RAHUL GANDHI REMARKS ‘BASELESS’, SAYS PRADHAN
Pradhan also responded to allegations raised by Rahul Gandhi regarding CBSE’s procurement process and the role of certain companies. He said CBSE had been instructed to ensure complete transparency in procurement decisions and warned that strict action would be taken if any wrongdoing was found.
“Whether it is a company, someone inside CBSE, someone outside, or even someone within the government, no one will be spared if any irregularity is found,” he said.
Criticising Rahul Gandhi’s remarks, Pradhan accused the Congress leader of making baseless allegations without fact-checking and claimed Gandhi frequently opposed India’s digital systems. However, he said the government remained open to answering legitimate questions raised in a democracy.
Reflecting on the wider issue of paper leaks, Pradhan said some people believed they could “break the system” using money and shortcuts. He said the government was determined to ensure that deserving students did not suffer because of such practices.
Pradhan said the government wanted speedy trials through special courts and strict punishment for those responsible in order to deter future malpractice. He admitted that the repeated controversies increased his own sense of responsibility as Education Minister but expressed confidence that reforms and tighter systems would eventually help eliminate paper leaks.
