The standoff between the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the Congress-led INDIA bloc persisted on Monday, culminating in the opposition walking out from the Lok Sabha in protest over their demand for a discussion on the NEET controversy.
Congress President and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, called for a comprehensive review of the entire education system under the oversight of the Supreme Court. During his address in the Rajya Sabha debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address, Kharge emphasized, “Not only NEET or the National Testing Agency, but the entire education system should undergo scrutiny under the Supreme Court.” He also urged for the scrapping of the Agnipath Scheme, describing it as an unplanned and impractical initiative that has shattered the morale of youth.
Kharge criticized the President’s recent address to the joint session of Parliament, likening it to a mere repetition of the January address and criticizing it for lacking vision and direction. He noted, “The President’s second address in June mirrored the first one given for elections earlier this year, failing to address the concerns of Dalits, minorities, and backward classes.”
Meanwhile, in the Lok Sabha, a heated exchange erupted between the Opposition and the Government regarding the NEET-UG examinations. Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lower House, demanded a separate one-day discussion on the NEET-UG issue, highlighting the impact on over two crore students and citing frequent paper leaks. “We insist on a dedicated discussion on NEET. More than two crore students are affected, with instances of paper leaks occurring 70 times. We urge the government to allow a specific debate on this critical issue,” Gandhi asserted.
However, the Centre opposed the proposal for a separate discussion during the Motion of Thanks on the President’s address, arguing that it deviated from established parliamentary norms. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh intervened, stressing that such discussions traditionally follow the completion of the Motion of Thanks. “Throughout my tenure as a parliamentarian, we have never discussed other issues during the Motion of Thanks. Additional topics can be addressed after the motion is passed,” Singh clarified.
Speaker Om Birla reinforced this position, stating that parliamentary convention does not permit other debates during the Motion of Thanks and suggesting that members could submit a separate notice for a discussion specifically on NEET.
In response to Birla initiating discussions on the Motion of Thanks with BJP MP Anurag Thakur, the Opposition staged a walkout from the Lok Sabha, pressing for assurances from the government regarding a future debate on the NEET issue.
