Congress leader Rahul Gandhi hit out at Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi on Sunday over the NEET-UG medical entrance row, saying the alleged "irregularities" in the examination have devastated more than 24 lakh students even before he takes oath for a new term in office.
Gandhi assured students in the country that he will become their voice in Parliament and strongly raise the issues related to their future.
Amid allegations of inflation of marks in the NEET-UG medical entrance exam, the National Testing Agency (NTA) announced on Saturday that the education ministry has set up a four-member panel to review the grace marks awarded to more than 1,500 candidates.
In a post in Hindi on X, Gandhi said, "Narendra Modi has not even taken oath yet and the irregularities in the NEET exam has devastated more than 24 lakh students and their families."
Six students from a single exam centre topped the exam with maximum marks, while many got such marks which are technically not possible, but the government is continuously denying the possibility of paper leak, the former Congress chief said.
He said the Congress had made a robust plan to deal with this 'paper leak industry' running in connivance with the education mafia and the government machinery.
"We had pledged in our manifesto to give students 'freedom from paper leak' by making a law," he said. "Today, I assure all the students of the country that I will become your voice in the Parliament and strongly raise the issues related to your future," Gandhi said.
The youth have expressed faith in the INDIA bloc which will not let their voice be suppressed, he asserted.
The NTA has denied any irregularities and said the changes made in the NCERT textbooks and grace marks for losing time at the examination centres were some of the reasons behind the students scoring higher marks. The issue has taken a political turn with several parties raising concerns about the authenticity of the national exam for medical courses.
The Congress on Friday demanded a high-level investigation under the Supreme Court's supervision into "irregularities" in NEET for medical courses and accused the BJP of cheating youngsters and playing with their futures.
