Shiv Sena’s Anand Dubey Demands Resignation of Health Minister Dharmendra Pradhan Over NEET-PG Postponement
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], June 23: Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Anand Dubey has demanded the immediate resignation of Union Health Minister Dharmendra Pradhan due to the postponement of the NEET-PG examination. Dubey stated that the government needs to overhaul the entire system and replace incapable officials.
Dubey said, “The NEET PG exam which was to be held on Sunday has been postponed…Nothing will happen by changing only the officers of NTA. The government will have to change the entire system. First of all, Dharmendra Pradhan should resign with immediate effect and this responsibility should be given to a new minister. Otherwise, crores of students will suffer. The anger of those who are coming out on the streets at this time will increase further.”
He added, “As the opposition, we can only demand from you that you bring in new people with immediate effect, bring in capable people and remove those who are inactive and indifferent from their posts.”
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare postponed the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test Postgraduate (NEET-PG) Examination, which was scheduled for June 23, and announced that a new date will be provided soon. The ministry cited recent allegations regarding the integrity of competitive exams as the reason for the postponement.
The ministry’s statement read, “Taking into consideration, the recent incidents of allegations regarding the integrity of certain competitive examinations, the Ministry of Health has decided to undertake a thorough assessment of the robustness of the processes of the NEET-PG Entrance Examination, conducted by the National Board of Examination for medical students.”
The ministry added, “It has accordingly been decided, as a precautionary measure, to postpone the NEET-PG Entrance Examination, scheduled to be held on 23rd June 2024. The fresh date of this examination will be notified at the earliest.”
The Ministry of Health expressed regret for the inconvenience caused to students and emphasized that the decision was made in their best interests to maintain the sanctity of the examination process.
The National Testing Agency (NTA), responsible for conducting the NEET-UG exams, has faced criticism over alleged irregularities, leading to protests and demands for its disbandment. An unprecedented 67 candidates achieved a perfect score of 720 marks out of 720, raising further concerns.
The Ministry of Education has formed a high-level committee of experts, led by former ISRO chairman Dr. K. Radhakrishnan, to recommend reforms in the examination process, data security protocols, and the functioning of the NTA. The committee will submit its report in the next two months.
