THE developments of the past some time as regards the NEET examination leave in their wake a serious question: What is the fault of the Government ? What has the Government missed doing after the paper-leak came to light ? What more steps should have been taken in this regard -- which the Government did not ? In sum and substance, the answer to these question is that the Government has done everything possible within its powers and terms of reference in response to the crisis.

 

So, where is the need to create such a ruckus in Parliament or at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi or hundreds of places across the country ? It is important to take note of whatever the Government has done: The Government cancelled the NEET examination the moment paper-leak came to light; The Government ordered a detailed investigation into the paper-leak and the investigators arrested several people around the country. The investigation still continues and more action may follow; The Government rescheduled the NEET examination under greater care -- and 20 lakh candidates appeared for the same and around 13 lakh students cleared the test.

 

The subsequent admission process, too, will be completed in due course; The Government agreed to meet the Cockroach Janta Party protesters’ delegation the moment they asked for a meeting and Union Minister Mr. J.P. Nadda met the representatives; The Government deputed Union Minister Mr. Jitendra Singh to meet Congress leader Mr. Rahul Gandhi who joined a sit-in protest and agreed to hold discussion in Parliament. To that offer, Mr. Rahul Gandhi gave only a perfunctory response; The Police stopped the protest-march to Parliament only when they realised that the protesters could turn violent; The Police also removed the protesters from the high-security zone around the Prim e Minister’s residence; Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi assured the protesters that the Government gave a top-priority position to young generations in all its thought and action; The Government handled the Sonam Wangchuk issue with much care -- without applying any pressure-tactics; The Government never called the CJP protesters “terrorists”, a name Opposition leader Mr. Rahul Gandhi gave ... ! Going by all these actions and developments, can anybody say that the Government erred massively on the NEET examination issue ? Yet, a fake narrative against the Government is being built by Opposition parties -- in time to suit their needs ahead of legislative elections due in seven States in the next few months. In Parliament, too, the Opposition parties are playing only a political game with no regard for the interest of the young people.

 

Their interest appears to be only to stall the proceedings of Parliament somehow. Of course, the Government realises all these tricks. It knows that the CJP agitation and Mr. Sonam Wangchuk’s fast are a coordinated affair being pushed only to embarrass the Government. The attempt is to paint the Government as incompetent and incapable of handling the issues of the young people. The Government realises all this, and is taking steps to counter the fake narrative. It is necessary that the Government handles the CJP issue with much care so that it does not spread beyond a logical limit. The CJP is not a serious political organisation at all. Yet, it has its own nuisance value because it is being supported by many political vested interests -- some of which appear to come from outside the country (as is commonly believed). To Government’s good luck, the Opposition does not have the wherewithal to utilise the situation to its political benefit. In contrast, the Bharatiya Janata Party is a master in that game.