As Parliament Resumes, NEET Controversy Likely to Dominate: 10 Key Points

On Friday, the Lok Sabha’s session was disrupted when Speaker Om Birla refused the Opposition’s request to discuss the NEET paper leak before the Motion of Thanks. This led to a standoff, with Opposition members, led by Rahul Gandhi, demanding an immediate discussion on the NEET issue. Consequently, the House was adjourned until Monday.

“You can bring up all matters during the debate on the Motion of Thanks on the President’s address. You will have enough time. But I can’t let you raise any other issue during this debate. It was already decided and mentioned in the bulletin too,” Speaker Om Birla informed the Opposition.

The NEET-UG exam, organized by the National Testing Agency (NTA) on May 5, had around 24 lakh candidates. Allegations of question paper leaks emerged in states like Bihar after the results were announced on June 4, leading to widespread protests.

The CBI has arrested six people so far in its investigation into the alleged malpractices in the NEET-UG exam, including the principal of a private school in Godhra, Gujarat, who was arrested yesterday.

When the Lok Sabha resumes, BJP MP Anurag Thakur is expected to start the debate on the Motion of Thanks. Bansuri Swaraj, a first-term Lok Sabha member and daughter of the late BJP leader Sushma Swaraj, will second the motion. The debate is set to last 16 hours, ending with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s response on Tuesday.

Opposition MPs are likely to continue demanding a discussion on the NEET controversy, as well as raising issues about inflation and unemployment.

In the Rajya Sabha, the situation was similar to the Lok Sabha’s tension. Protests broke out during Friday’s session, with Opposition members calling for a debate on the NEET issue. Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge actively joined the protest, along with his colleagues in the Well of the House.

During the heated session, Congress MP Phulo Devi Netam fainted due to high blood pressure while participating in the protests and had to be taken to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital.

Despite these disruptions, the Rajya Sabha has allocated 21 hours for the debate on the Motion of Thanks, with Prime Minister Modi expected to respond on Wednesday.