Jairam Ramesh questioned the Centre over the appointment of a new Education Secretary amid subsidy allegations and slammed the CBI for giving a clean chit to the alleged ‘kingpin’ of the NEET-UG 2024 paper leak, raising concerns about government integrity.
Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Friday questioned the Centre over the appointment of IAS officer Naresh Pal Gangwar as Education Secretary alleging subsidy-linked irregularities during his tenure as Secretary to the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying.
In an X post, Jairam Ramesh also slammed the government after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said that it did not find any evidence to establish the involvement of Sanjeev Kumar alias Sanjeev Mukhiya in the NEET (UG) 2024 paper leak case. Ramesh said that the two developments raised concerns over the integrity of the NDA government. He wrote, “Two developments in the last 24 hours have raised further concerns about the integrity of the Modi Sarkar when it comes to the education system and prosecuting paper leaks – The Secretary, Higher Education was transferred out and replaced by an officer whose family members reportedly took huge ‘subsidies’ from the Ministry of Agriculture while he was serving as the top civil servant in the related Ministry of Animal Husbandry, Fisheries, and Dairying.”
“The CBI gave a clean chit to ‘Sanjeev Mukhiya’, who had earlier been declared the ‘kingpin’ of the NEET-UG 2024 paper leak. Incidentally, his wife had previously contested the Vidhan Sabha elections in Bihar on the ticket of the LJP – a key NDA constituent,” he added.
Naresh Pal Gangwar was appointed as Secretary of the Department of Higher Education late Thursday night amid the ongoing NEET-UG paper leak row and demands for the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Vineet Joshi has been transferred to Secretary in the Department of Panchayati Raj.
Ramesh calls fast-track court promise ‘hollow’
In a separate post, Jairam Ramesh alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement of fast-track courts for paper leak cases was “hollow” and a result of his “midnight panic” as fast-track courts can be “easily and clearly be set up under existing laws” without a need for amendment. He questioned the government’s intention, and moreover, stated that fast-track courts work only in case of a time-bound probe.
“The Modi Government is trying its hardest to play up the Pradhan Mantri’s midnight panic promise of fast-track courts by law. Actually, just this morning the Delhi High Court has constituted a new Fast Track Court with immediate effect to hear cases under the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024. Fast track courts can easily and clearly be set up under existing laws as well. The PM’s promise is, as usual, hollow and only a headline-grabbing exercise. The Pradhan Mantri is only attempting to fool the youth. Fast Track Courts work only when investigations themselves are thorough and time-bound, and there is political will to see the investigations through. The Modi Government’s ‘niyat’ over the last 12 years has been clear – to deny that paper leaks have occurred, and to suppress investigations,” he wrote on X.
‘Government attempted to deny paper leak’
The Congress leader further alleged that the Centre has attempted to deny any paper leak in the case of NEET-UG 2026. He asked, “What else explains the following – The Mantri Pradhan deliberately refused to use the word ‘leak’ for the NEET-UG 2026 exam in his press conference. The Education Ministry officially denied that a paper leak occurred in the NEET-UG 2026 exam to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education.”
Questioning the government over “clean chit” to Sanjeev Mukhiya, he added, “The Modi Government deliberately buried and denied the evidence of widespread irregularities in the NEET-UG 2024 despite the extremely fishy clustering of exam toppers in a handful of test centres. The Modi Government finally acknowledged that the NEET exam of 2024 underwent what it called a ‘selective leak’ in Hazaribagh. But it has failed to bring justice to the perpetrators. After calling Sanjeev Mukhiya the ‘kingpin’ of the leak, it is now claiming through the CBI that he is innocent. The CBI filed a closure report alleging that there was no paper leak in the UGC-NET examination of 2024, but has failed to provide any reasons for the same.”
Congress lists demands
“The fast-track courts are an eyewash, an attempt to show responsiveness when there is none. Our demands are clear – 1. Sack Mantri Pradhan. 2. Punish those who beat the students. 3. Apologise to the students,” Ramesh posted on X.
Centre moves on anti-paper leak Bill
In a video shared on X on Thursday night, the Prime Minister announced that the Union Cabinet will take up a draft Bill providing for fast-track courts and stringent punishment for offenders.
According to sources, the Union Cabinet has approved amendments to the anti-paper leak Bill, which is the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024. The Bill is likely to be taken up for consideration and passing in Parliament on Monday. (ANI)
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