Centre Fires 47 NTA Officials, Tightens Anti-Paper Leak Law Amid Protests
The Union Cabinet on Friday approved amendments to the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, introducing tougher penalties and time-bound trial mechanisms to tackle exam malpractices. In a related move, the government terminated the services of up to 47 officials in the National Testing Agency (NTA), the body responsible for conducting national entrance exams.
The decision comes in the wake of widespread protests over the NEET paper leak, with students and opposition parties demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. On Friday, protests erupted in multiple districts of Bihar, including Vaishali, Muzaffarpur, and Darbhanga, where demonstrators burned effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Minister Pradhan. The All India Students Association (AISA) called for a 'Bihar Bandh' on July 25 against a police lathi charge on protesting students.
Meanwhile, activist Sonam Wangchuk ended his hunger strike on Thursday night after meeting Union Ministers J.P. Nadda and Jitendra Singh. In a video message, Wangchuk asserted he did not strike a deal with the government but ended the fast fearing a crackdown on protesters at Jantar Mantar. His wife, Gitanjali Angmo, described the ongoing student agitation as a 'wake-up call' for the government.
In a separate development, the government and the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), a group protesting exam irregularities, held talks at the Constitution Club of India on Friday. The CJP demanded the removal of Education Minister Pradhan as the 'strictest action' against paper leaks. Parliament continued to be disrupted for the fifth consecutive day, with Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi insisting on the minister's resignation before any discussion.
Internationally, over 166,000 people were evacuated in France and Spain as unprecedented wildfires raged near Madrid and Bordeaux. French President Emmanuel Macron requested army mobilisation and EU assistance to contain the blaze, which is heading towards Bordeaux.
