Education minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Friday said he would not accept the recommendations of the parliamentary standing committee on education on the NEET since it had members from the Opposition, a statement that some lawmakers called undemocratic in a parliamentary process.
At a media conference on the measures being taken by the National Testing Agency (NTA) on the NEET-UG, Pradhan was asked about the parliamentary panel report that found that at least 5 of the 14 exams conducted by the agency in 2024 faced major issues.
“I do not want to go by the observations of the parliamentary committee. I will go by the Radhakrishnan committee. The Opposition members are in the parliamentary committee. You know better than me how they prepare the reports,” Pradhan said.
The parliamentary standing committee on education, headed by Congress MP Digvijaya Singh, has 30 members from both ruling and Opposition parties. Its report on “Review of Autonomous Bodies and Institutions”, presented in October last year, said that at least five exams in 2024 faced major issues, three had to be postponed, and the NEET-UG saw instances of paper leaks.
In JEE-Main 2025, held in January last year, at least 12 questions had to be withdrawn because of errors found in
the final answer keys of the engineering entrance test.
The committee observed that such instances do not inspire confidence among examinees in the system.
Opposition MPs strongly criticised Pradhan over his comments on Friday. NCP Rajya Sabha member Fauzia Khan said the minister’s statement reeked of contempt for democratic processes and institutions.
“The minister’s statement shows parliamentary democracy is not acceptable to them. The government wants to function in its own way. Parliamentary standing committees are there to thrash out issues in detail. If they refuse to consider the reports because Opposition members are there, why should there be an Opposition side at all?” Khan asked.
CPI member P. Sandosh Kumar said Pradhan’s statement had exposed his ignorance of the parliamentary process. “One who knows the ABCD of parliamentary proceedings cannot undermine the importance of the parliamentary standing committee. The minister has lost his credibility. Under his leadership, the NTA has proven to be a failed agency. It gives nightmares to parents and students,” he said.