Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders slam Centre over NEET, CBSE; seek accountability, reforms

Shiv Sena UBT leaders Aaditya Thackeray and Sanjay Raut on Friday criticised the Centre over alleged irregularities in the NEETUG examination and the CBSE evaluation process claiming the controversies have exposed serious shortcomings in the countrys education administrationIn separate statements the two leaders demanded accountability from the Union Education Ministry and called for structural reforms to restore public confidence in nationallevel examinationsRaut questions proposal to use Air Force for NEET paper transportRajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut strongly criticised reports that the Centre is considering using the Indian Air Force IAF to transport question papers for the NEETUG reexamination scheduled on June 21According to PTI the proposal was discussed during a highlevel meeting chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and attended by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Communications Minister Jyotiraditya ScindiaNo final decision has been taken yet and the proposal is expected to be placed before Prime Minister Narendra Modi for considerationReacting to the development Raut argued that involving the armed forces in examination logistics reflected a failure of governanceldquoThe armed forces are meant to protect the countrys borders not cover up the incompetence of the National Testing Agency and the Education Ministryrdquo Raut saidHe alleged that repeated paper leak controversies had undermined students trust in the examination systemBandaid solution will not solve systemic issues RautRaut claimed that instead of addressing the root causes of examination irregularities the government was relying on temporary measuresldquoThis is a shameful admission of governance failure After years of NEET paper leaks destroying the dreams of lakhs of students the government now wants the Air Force to transport question papersrdquo he saidThe Shiv Sena UBT leader questioned why the Defence Ministry needed to become involved in managing examinationrelated logisticsldquoWhy should the Defence Minister have to chair meetings with the Education Minister for basic exam logistics This only exposes the incompetence of the NTA and the Education Ministryrdquo he allegedRaut demanded strict action against those responsible for paper leaks and called for comprehensive reforms to ensure transparency and credibility in the examination systemldquoStudents deserve real accountabilityrdquo he addedAaditya Thackeray raises concerns over NEET and CBSE controversiesFormer Maharashtra minister Aaditya Thackeray also criticised the Centre linking the NEET controversy with concerns surrounding the CBSEs OnScreen Marking OSM processIn a statement he said the issues had damaged the credibility of Indias education system and negatively impacted studentsldquoThe absolute chaos in these examinations shows the inefficiency of those managing the boards and the HRD Ministry in conducting these examsrdquo Thackeray saidHe argued that the controversies had affected not only students and their families but also Indias reputation as a country known for producing skilled and hardworking professionalsAccording to Thackeray repeated controversies surrounding national examinations risk undermining global confidence in Indian educational qualificationsDemand for action against officials and examination authoritiesThackeray called for accountability at the highest levels of the education systemHe said there could be no meaningful justice for students unless action was taken against officials responsible for the alleged lapsesThe Shiv Sena UBT leader demanded the removal of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and officials associated with the National Testing Agency NTA and the Central Board of Secondary Education CBSE who were responsible for conducting examinationsHe also sought strict action against those allegedly involved in the NEETUG paper leak case and the alleged mishandling of the CBSE evaluation processldquoUnless the strictest possible action is taken against those involved in the NEET paper leak and the mishandling of CBSEs OnScreen Marking process there is no point promising a developed India by 2047rdquo Thackeray saidNEET reexamination scheduled for June 21The National EligibilitycumEntrance Test Undergraduate commonly known as NEETUG was conducted on May 3 across 551 cities in India and 14 overseas centresNearly 23 lakh candidates had registered for the examination which is conducted by the National Testing Agency for admission to undergraduate medical coursesOn May 12 the NTA cancelled the examination following allegations of a question paper leakA fresh examination has been scheduled for June 21Meanwhile the Central Bureau of Investigation CBI is continuing its probe into the alleged leakInvestigators have conducted searches at multiple locations across the country and 13 people have been arrested so far from Delhi Jaipur Gurugram Nashik Pune Latur and AhilyanagarWith inputs from PTI