Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan assures smooth NEET retest, targets Rahul Gandhi

NEW DELHI: Hours before nearly 22.8 lakh candidates were to sit for the NEET-UG re-examination on Sunday, Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan asked them to take the test “fearlessly and without tension” and assured them that it would be conducted successfully. Without naming Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Pradhan also accused “so-called responsible people” of acting irresponsibly and with “ill intentions” on the eve of the examination.“I have complete faith in NTA, all state governments, district administrations, the Indian education sector and, especially, India’s students,” Pradhan said. “Sit fearlessly, without worry, and you will definitely do well.”His remarks came a day after Gandhi attacked NTA over reports that a Nagpur aspirant had been allotted Abu Dhabi as his examination centre. Gandhi said the candidate had neither a passport nor the money to travel abroad and had cried through the night after downloading his admit card. He accused the agency of testing the patience of students and parents and asked the government to stop “gambling” with their future.NTA later rebutted the allegation, saying its digital records showed that Abu Dhabi had been selected through the candidate’s registered login during the correction window and the choice had been previewed twice. The agency said it contacted the candidate’s father after receiving a request on June 19 and shifted the centre to Nagpur.Referring to the controversy, Pradhan appealed to political leaders not to heighten anxiety among candidates hours before the examination. “Please do not jeopardise the future of India’s new generation. Let no one make a mockery of it. Let us not do anything that will impact the mental health of children,” he said.“If you consider yourself a true citizen and represent the people of India, please act responsibly. Don’t cause any further hardship or suffering to India’s children,” the minister added.The retest follows the cancellation of the May 3 examination over alleged irregularities and a paper leak, which are being investigated by CBI. It is being held under a multi-layered security network involving state administrations, police, paramilitary forces and central agencies.Pradhan also said CBSE’s post-result processes were nearing completion. Results for around 15.5 lakh of the approximately 17 lakh Class XII candidates had already been released, he said, adding that cases involving re-evaluation, reassessment and verification would be cleared shortly.