P Chidambaram Criticizes NEET-UG Exam, Calls for Resignation of Education Minister

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram has urged the central government to abandon the all-India NEET-UG exam, suggesting state-level control over medical admissions instead. Criticizing NEET as a scandal, he also called for Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation amid multiple controversies surrounding the exam.

Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP P Chidambaram, amid the ongoing controversy surrounding the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET)-UG exam 2024, has called for the central government to abandon all-India examinations. He insists that the responsibility for administering medical college entrance exams should lie with individual states. Chidambaram described the NEET exam as scandalous and accused it of being a platform for corruption and cheating.

In a recent interview with ANI, Chidambaram highlighted Tamil Nadu's legislative resolution demanding an exemption from NEET. He argued that state governments should have the autonomy to conduct their own entrance exams for state-run medical colleges, rather than relying on a centralized system prone to scandals and misuse. He also demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, urging him to take moral responsibility for the exam's persistent issues.

Following extensive protests and legal actions against the National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducted the NEET exam, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested over a dozen suspects implicated in the exam paper leak scandal. Additionally, Chidambaram criticized the newly implemented criminal laws, questioning their legitimacy and accusing them of being largely derivative of existing laws. He also responded to BJP's allegations against Rahul Gandhi, maintaining that Congress supports secularism and condemning BJP's divisive politics.

(With inputs from agencies.)