'Paper leak government': Cong targets BJP over JEE-Mains exam 'scam', NSUI to hold nationwide protest on Monday

How can students be assured that such frauds have not happened in other exams conducted by the NTA, the Opposition party asked

Terming the BJP-led Centre as 'Bechte Jao Paper' and 'Paper Leak' government, Congress on Saturday raked up the issue of an exam scam after CBI arrested seven persons for the alleged manipulation of JEE Mains examination and demanded a Supreme Court-monitored probe into the matter.

Congress also sought to draw parallel of the arrest of seven persons, including two directors of a Noida-based private institution, in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh to similar exam irregularities issues in other BJP-ruled states, including the massive exam controversy surrounding Vyapam — which was repeatedly raked up by the Opposition party to corner the Shivraj Singh Chouhan-helmed Madhya Pradesh government in last one decade — besides the 2018 CBSE Class X and XII exams, and entrance exams in Haryana.

"JEE (Main) exam has been breached. Students appearing for such competitive exams prepare very hard, battling difficulties of various kinds. We, as a nation, owe them a fair exam. The Government of India is better at providing cover ups," Rahul Gandhi tweeted.

The Congress' student wing, NSUI, will carry out protests against the alleged scam across the country on Monday. "Last year during NEET counselling, the NSUI raised the scam issue but at that time officials and government were sleeping. After SSC-CGL, NEET and CA exam scams, this JEE exam scam is exposing Modi government's corrupted system in competitive exams," said NSUI President Neeraj Kundan.

In the AICC briefing, Congress spokesperson Gourav Vallabh, Delhi Congress leader Alka Lamba and NSUI national president Neeraj Kundan also cited similar instances during SSC-2017 and the 2020 JEE-Main exams and sought answers from the BJP government, asking why the Education Ministry and the National Testing Agency (NTA) under the central government, which are responsible for conducting examinations in a transparent manner, are not held accountable for such irregularities.

"When one of the most prestigious entrance examinations of the country (JEE) is not spared by these frauds, how can students be assured that such scams have not happened in other exams conducted by the NTA," the Opposition party asked.

Also Read | JEE manipulation: Seven arrested by CBI

"We demand an inquiry into the entire fraud under the supervision of a sitting Supreme Court judge as this is an issue related to the future of our country. Is it not the responsibility of the government to ensure that every student out of 22 lakh applicants who appeared for the 2021 JEE-Main exams gets a fair chance as their future is at stake?" Vallabh said.

"The only one thing that is common in all these examinations is that they have messed up the future of students of our country. The 'Paper Leak Government' is answerable to every youth of our country who is not able to get a deserving job or seat in a reputed institute due to endless paper leaks. Paper leaks are happening under BJP governments and the 'Bechte Jao Paper' party has put the future of students and the country at stake," the Opposition said.

Lamba cited previous instances of paper leaks in BJP-ruled states of Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Assam.