Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], July 19 (ANI): Noting that trust in the country’s education system “has broken”, Biju Janata Dal chief and former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has said that the “grave issue” affecting millions of students across the country, must be taken up in the Parliament session beginning tomorrow as the highest priority and accountability should be fixed for “lapse of trust”.
In a post on X, Patnaik said “paper leaks, flawed assessments, and systemic failures” should never be repeated and the government should initiate meaningful dialogue with the students who have been peacefully protesting for days.
He said the BJD stands firmly with the youth and students of the country.
The BJD chief said that every developed nation is built upon a strong education system and a credible examination process and India has seen strong progress over the years because of its education system.
“For millions of children in our country, education remains the only path to a brighter future. Every developed nation is built upon a strong education system and a transparent, credible examination process. India too has made remarkable progress because of the strength of its education system. It has nurtured generations of brilliant doctors, scientists, engineers, teachers, and innovators who have shaped modern India,” he said.
“Today, however, trust in this system stands broken. The damage goes far beyond a failed exam. It shatters faith in the very foundation of education system. It tells deserving students that hard work no longer matters, and robs them of their only ladder out of poverty. A nation that compromises the integrity of its examination system, compromises its own future,” he added.
He said the flaws in the education system should be thoroughly debated in Parliament during the monsoon session of Parliament.
“This grave issue, affecting millions of students across the country, must be taken up in Parliament as the highest priority. It deserves a thorough debate in the temple of our democracy, leading to concrete reforms that ensure paper leaks, flawed assessments, and systemic failures are never repeated. Accountability must also be fixed for this lapse of trust,” he said.
“Politics aside, I urge the government to initiate a meaningful dialogue with the students who have been peacefully protesting for days. They must be given a platform to express their views. A vibrant democracy advances through dialogue, not silence–and this dialogue is most vital when it involves the youth of the nation. The children and young people of India are looking to us for leadership. We cannot fail them,” he added.
Patnaik said sincere, open-minded dialogue with the peaceful youth protestors “will help restore faith in our democracy, in our education system, and in the leadership entrusted with shaping their future”.
“@bjd_odisha stands firmly with the youth and students of the country,” he said.
Congress and several other opposition parties have been demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET-UG “paper leak”.
There has been a protest by students at Jantar Mantar over their demands. Activist Sonam Wangchuk, who was on a hunger strike at Jantar Mantar, has been taken to a hospital.
Congress has also been campaigning against the paper leaks and has launched ‘Chhatron ki Goonj’ campaign.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who addressed the ‘Chhatron ki Goonj’ event in Dehradun on Friday, alleged that there had been 152 paper leaks over the last decade.
He questioned the government’s failure to punish those responsible and proposed technological safeguards to protect examinations.
The monsoon session of Parliament will begin tomorrow and contiue till August 13. (ANI)