Biju Janata Dal chief and former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has stated that trust in the country's education system "has broken". He stressed that this grave issue, which affects millions of students nationwide, must be taken up as the highest priority during the Parliament session starting on Monday, and that accountability must be fixed for this lapse of trust.
In an article published in X, Patnaik had said that there should be no place for such failures like paper leakages, faulty evaluations, and any other form of corruption in the future. He appealed to the government to enter into a constructive discussion with the protesting students because BJD stands fully behind the dynamic and vibrant youth of India. The leader of the BJD party stated that all successful countries were built upon a sound education system and a genuine process of evaluation, and further elaborated on how the tremendous development witnessed by India was made possible only due to the strong Indian education system that gave birth to talented professionals in the past.
But, Patnaik said that the recent destruction goes much beyond the failed exam. He remarked that it tells deserving students that hard work no longer matters, robbing them of their only ladder out of poverty. A nation that compromises the integrity of its examination system, he argued, ultimately compromises its own future.
Patnaik asserted that it was important to discuss and deliberate about the shortcomings of the system in the temple of democracy during the forthcoming monsoon session, which should result in necessary changes. Putting aside politics, Patnaik suggested that the government provide the protesting youngsters with an opportunity to share their ideas, saying that healthy democracy is built by discussion not by silence. An honest discussion with the peaceful protesters would make the government believe once again in its democracy, education system, and its ability to lead the country’s youth.
This move has been made on the heels of the Congress party, along with other opposition parties, demanding that Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resign following the NEET-UG paper leak case. Student protests have also been ongoing at Jantar Mantar, where recently activist Sonam Wangchuk was admitted to hospital following his participation in a hunger strike. 'Chhatron ki Goonj,' a campaign launched by the Congress party, has also been active in their opposition to the leaks. Speaking during an event at Dehradun, Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi accused there being 152 paper leaks in the last ten years, and asked why no one has been punished for it, while suggesting measures through technology to prevent future leaks.
Also read: Odisha skeleton case: Patnaik calls for 'humane' banking norms
Follow us
