Exam row: Why Modi govt must act swiftly against corrupt NTA officials

New Delhi: The Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government has been pushed on a back foot, days after being sworn into office for an unprecedented third term.

The issue of alleged irregularities and leaks in various examinations, including NEET and UGC-NET, has cast a bad light on the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance government even as the opposition is set to claim the issue in the forthcoming Parliament session.

By not initiating tough and swift disciplinary and legal action against corrupt officials at the National Testing Agency and fixing their responsibility, the Union government is taking up significant criticism and negativity upon itself. The paper leak regarding NEET and UGC-NET has become a big issue in service-class families and those in the lower middle class. 

The government needs to break the coaching schools-examination mafia nexus which has seemingly taken control of the NTA.

The Modi government would do well if it leaves its stubborn attitude whenever it is cornered on such tricky issues and takes a magnanimous view on the entire controversy. 

It must be remembered that the NDA government has been reluctant to act against the accused in earlier cases, like dealing with Chief Minister N Biren Singh to resolve the Manipur crisis or clamping down on Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh after allegations of sexual misconduct against him emerged.

The delay in dealing with these issues has clearly shown a negative impact on the government, with the BJP being unable to garner enough seats on its own in the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls, sources pointed out.

“It is not always correct to ride out the storm on each and every issue. The paper leaks have a direct impact on middle and lower-income groups, considered the backbone of BJP’s support. Moreover, these will directly impact the future of millions of youngsters across the country who are aspiring for higher education and professional gains from these,” sources added.

The government would do well by initiating immediate and strict action against any corrupt officials of the NTA and ordering a retest so that the masses, especially the young, aren’t swayed by the opposition narrative.

“It is very important to be seen acting against the corrupt or else the Narendra Modi government will lose another perception war against the opposition,” sources said.

As the NTA was established in 2017, during the earlier tenure of the present saffron government, the NDA government would also not be able to escape the criticism from the opposition that the institution has legacy issues and hence isn’t up to the mark.

It is believed that the Congress-led INDIA bloc is already planning to raise the examination leak issue vociferously in the forthcoming session of Parliament, beginning next week.

An unprecedented action against the corrupt, who are playing with the futures of millions of youngsters is the need of the hour. The Narendra Modi government should not shy away from acting against such officials while also ensuring confidence-building measures are undertaken to restore the image and credibility of examination-conducting agencies in the country.