As the nation grapples with widespread protests over alleged irregularities in the National Entrance-cum-Eligibility Test (NEET) conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA), the opposition is set to bring the issue to Parliament on Friday.
Earlier in the day, leaders of the INDIA bloc, an opposition coalition, convened at Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence. They discussed several issues, including the NEET controversy, which they plan to raise in Parliament.
“We will give notices (in Parliament) on the NEET issue tomorrow,” DMK MP Tiruchi Siva told ANI after the INDIA bloc meeting on Thursday. If the NEET issue is not discussed, the opposition plans to stage a protest inside the House.
Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh informed ANI that various issues were discussed at the meeting, and they will be addressed in Parliament. He added that the INDIA bloc leaders will also participate in the debate on the motion of thanks to the President’s address starting Monday.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi emphasized that the opposition will raise all pressing issues in Parliament. Rashtriya Loktantrik Party President Hanuman Beniwal confirmed that the opposition is united and will address issues such as NEET, Agniveer, inflation, unemployment, and MSP in the coming days.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) recently registered a criminal case over alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG and UGC-NET exams conducted by the NTA. Special teams have been formed to investigate the matter. According to the CBI’s FIR, “isolated incidents” occurred in a few states during the NEET (UG) 2024 examination held on May 5, 2024.
The NEET (UG) 2024 Examination, conducted at 4,750 centers in 571 cities, including 14 abroad, saw over 23 lakh candidates appear. An unprecedented 67 candidates achieved a perfect score of 720 marks, sparking protests across the country.
In response, the Ministry of Education has established a high-level committee of experts to recommend reforms in the examination process, improvements in data security protocols, and the functioning of the NTA.