Chandigarh, July 3 (IANS) Punjab Finance Minister, Harpal Cheema, on Monday moved a resolution in the Legislative Assembly, urging the House to hold the Centre accountable for repeated examination scandals, paper leaks and institutional failures that have impacted the future of millions of students and job aspirants across the country. The Assembly unanimously passed the resolution.

Speaking in the House, Cheema said, “Under the arrogant rule of a dictatorial BJP-led Union Government, every vital sector in the country, especially the future of millions of hardworking youth, has been put up for sale.”

The minister said the systemic corruption and repeated paper leaks in high-stakes examinations such as NEET have broken the morale of young aspirants and more than 2.50 lakh students stayed away from the re-examination out of sheer despair after realising that merit had been traded for cash and political patronage.

He pointed out that while Prime Minister Narendra Modi frequently took to social media and digital platforms for superficial outreach, the state machinery responded to peaceful and democratic appeals by students with shock batons, pellet guns, tear gas and AK-47 assault rifles.

“Even minors, schoolgirls apologising under duress and renowned climate activist and educator Sonam Wangchuk have been booked under stringent provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita instead of receiving justice,” he said.

“The resolution strongly condemns more than 70 major examination scandals, digital remote-access hacks and recruitment scams that have plagued the country over the past decade.

“It calls for complete restructuring and decentralisation of testing bodies such as the National Testing Agency, exemplary action against paper leak syndicates and the immediate withdrawal of unjust criminal proceedings against peaceful student protesters,” he added.

The minister said the contrast between the situation in several BJP-ruled states and Punjab is evident.

“While the Union Government protects corrupt syndicates and exploits students, the Punjab government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has provided nearly 70,000 government jobs purely on merit and restored Scheduled Caste scholarships, ensuring that more than half a lakh marginalised students can pursue their education without economic barriers,” Cheema said.

Concluding his address, Cheema said, “It is the unstoppable power and awakening of India’s youth that has finally forced the arrogant BJP leadership to bend before public pressure.

“This House should send the resolution to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, the Union Ministry of Education and the Prime Minister’s Office so that the concerns of the people and the aspirations of the country’s youth are formally placed before them.”

–IANS

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