Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said in the Lok Sabha on Monday that there is a very serious problem in the country's examination system, prompting Education minister Dharmendra Pradhan to issue a strong rebuttal and state that there was no evidence of paper leaks in the last seven years.
As the opposition sought to corner the government over the issue of paper leaks, Speaker Om Birla also weighed in saying it was not right to raise questions about all exams and that members should discuss about developing a better examination system.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is probing the alleged irregularities in the medical entrance exam NEET. The agency has lodged six FIRs. The NEET-UG is conducted by the NTA for admissions to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH and other related courses in government and private institutions.
On the first day of the Budget session of Parliament, Opposition members raised the issue of exam paper leaks.
Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, said there was a very serious problem in the examination system, not just with NEET but all major examinations.
Noting that millions of students are concerned, he claimed, "if you are rich and if you have money, you can buy the Indian examination system".
"This is a systemic issue, what exactly are you doing to fix it at the systemic level?" he asked Pradhan, who was responding to queries during the Question Hour.
A visibly peeved Pradhan said it was unfortunate that the member described the examination system as rubbish.
Stressing that there should be constructive discussions on the issue, Birla said if questions are raised about all the examinations in the country, then that will have an impact on the Indian education system and the perception about it around the world.
The CBI is probing the issue of exam paper leaks and the Supreme Court is also looking into the matter. "We should look at developing a better system... it is not right to raise questions about all examinations," he said.
After the Speaker concluded his remarks, Gandhi wanted to speak but was disallowed.
Gandhi and almost the entire Opposition members, including from the Trinamool Congress and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, walked out of the House.
Congress Deputy Leader in the House Gaurav Gogoi raised slogans demanding the resignation of Pradhan.
Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav also raised questions about the exam paper leaks and claimed that the government will make a record on the issue.
The House also paid tributes to Nguyen Phu Trong, general secretary of Vietnam's ruling Communist Party, who passed away on July 19.
As a mark of respect for the departed soul, the members also stood in silence for a brief while.
