Sena (UBT) demands Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation over NEET-PG exam postponement

Anand Dubey. Pic/X

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anand Dubey has sought Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's immediate resignation following the postponement of the NEET-PG exam. Dubey argued that the government should revamp the entire system and remove incompetent personnel.

"The NEET PG exam which was to be held on Sunday has been postponed...Nothing will happen by changing only the officers of NTA. The government will have to change the entire system. First of all, Dharmendra Pradhan should resign with immediate effect and this responsibility should be given to a new minister. Otherwise, crores of students will suffer. The anger of those who are coming out on the streets at this time will increase further," Dubey said per an ANI report.

"As the opposition, we can only demand from you that you bring in new people with immediate effect, bring in capable people and remove those who are inactive and indifferent from their posts," the leader added.

According to the ANI report, the National Eligibility and Entrance Test Postgraduate (NEET-PG) Examination, scheduled for Sunday, has been postponed by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. A new date will be announced soon. The tests were initially scheduled for June 23.

"Taking into consideration, the recent incidents of allegations regarding the integrity of certain competitive examinations, the Ministry of Health has decided to undertake a thorough assessment of the robustness of the processes of the NEET-PG Entrance Examination, conducted by the National Board of Examination for medical students," the ministry said in its statement, per the report.

"It has accordingly been decided, as a precautionary measure, to postpone the NEET-PG Entrance Examination, scheduled to be held on 23rd June 2024. The fresh date of this examination will be notified at the earliest. The Ministry of Health sincerely regrets the inconvenience caused to the students. This decision has been taken in the best interests of the students and to maintain the sanctity of the examination process," the ministry further stated, ANI reported.

According to the news agency report, the National Testing Agency (NTA), responsible for conducting the NEET-UG exams, is under scrutiny for alleged irregularities, prompting widespread protests and demands to disband the NTA. Concerns grew when an unprecedented 67 candidates achieved a perfect score of 720 marks out of 720.

The Ministry of Education has set up a high-level committee of experts to recommend reforms for improving the examination process, data security protocols, and the functioning of the NTA. The seven-member committee, led by former ISRO chairman Dr K Radhakrishnan, will submit its report to the ministry in the next two months, the report added.