New Delhi, June 5 (IANS) After requesting Prime Minister Narendra Modi to release a comprehensive ‘White Paper’ on paper leaks and irregularities in National Testing Agency (NTA)-conducted examinations, veteran Congress leader Digvijaya Singh said that he has asked the Prime Minister for information regarding the data breaches which took place during both Congress and BJP governments.

In a letter to Prime Minister Modi, Singh, who is the Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports, noted that the absence of consolidated public records on past cases has deepened uncertainty and mental stress among aspirants.

During an interaction with IANS, the Congress MP said: “Paper leaks have happened at multiple places, at the state government level as well as at the Central government level. Every time, it is said to start from the Vyapam scam and it is also said that ‘we will investigate and punish the guilty’.”

The Vyapam scam was an entrance examination, admission and recruitment scam in Madhya Pradesh, which was exposed in 2013.

“Only half of the Vyapam scam was handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation, the rest is with the state government. Investigation in the latter has not even started,” Singh claimed.

The veteran Congress leader added that even 20 years later, those guilty in the Vyapam case are still roaming free.

About his letter to PM Modi, Singh said: “I have asked information from the Prime Minister regarding paper leaks, irrespective of Congress or BJP regime.”

The Congress leader said that he has sought information on who is conducting the investigation and who are the culprits?

“How many (exam paper leaks accused) of them have been punished or let out on bail and how many cases have been withdrawn?”

Over demands for Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation, Digvijaya Singh asserted: “He should resign over the CBSE controversy.”

“A 17-year-old teenager has clearly shown that the Central government changed the rules and parameters in CBSE and gave a contract to a vendor,” he added.

The Congress MP also said: “Many people say that the vendor is connected to Dharmendra Pradhan in some ways. It is being said that the vendor’s technical director is Pradhan’s friend. However, I don’t know how far this is true.”

“The company ‘Coempt Edu Teck’, the same one which caused discrepancies in Telangana as well, was given the opportunity while sidelining a big company like TCS,” he alleged.

Moreover, Digvijaya Singh claimed: “The company has changed its name, its owner and directors are the same.”

The Central government recently transferred the CBSE Chairman and Secretary in connection with the On-Screen marking controversy.

–IANS

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