NEET debate: Lok Sabha adjourned till July 1 amid Opposition pressure

Speaker Om Birla acknowledged receiving 22 notices concerning the NEET paper leak and referred to President's speech, where she indicated a commitment to conducting a thorough investigation into the irregularities in NEET. Consequently, the house was adjourned until noon.

The Opposition in the Lok Sabha on Friday (June 28) demanded a discussion on the alleged leak of the NEET-UG medical entrance exam and other highly competitive tests. The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government has assured that it is prepared to address any queries regarding the controversies surrounding these exams.

The session commenced with Congress MP KC Venugopal submitting an adjournment motion to discuss multiple instances of paper leaks, including NEET-UG and UGC-NET. The Opposition aimed to highlight what they perceive as the "failures" of the National Testing Agency (NTA), responsible for conducting numerous national competitive exams.

Speaker Om Birla acknowledged receiving 22 notices concerning the NEET paper leak and referred to President's speech, where she indicated a commitment to conducting a thorough investigation into the irregularities in NEET. Consequently, the house was adjourned until noon.

Upon resumption, the Speaker further adjourned the session till Monday.

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi stressed the importance of parliament sending a unified message expressing concern for the nation's students, who are apprehensive about their futures.

"We should approach this issue with composure. Both the Opposition and ruling alliance must convey a collective assurance to students," Gandhi said.

Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Sanjay Singh also pressed for discussions on the NEET matter in the Rajya Sabha.

Congress MP Syed Naseer Hussain issued a 'suspension of business notice', advocating for the suspension of all other activities in the house to focus exclusively on the NEET-UG and UGC-NET controversies today.

The Chief Ministers of Kerala and Tamil Nadu have demanded the abolition of NEET.

In response to the allegations, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed a criminal case on June 23 regarding the purported irregularities in the administration of NEET-UG by the NTA. Special investigative teams have been formed to delve into the matter.

NEET-UG, that was conducted on May 5, saw participation from over 23 lakh candidates. The revelation that 67 candidates achieved a perfect score of 720 out of 720 prompted widespread protests across the country.