Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Monday criticised the Centre's response to the paper leak controversy, accusing the government of first denying problems, then targeting protesters before announcing a task force for examination reforms.
His comments came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the formation of a high-powered task force, headed by Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani, to recommend reforms in examinations conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA).
The task force will suggest measures to improve the use of technology and create a more transparent and secure examination system, Modi said in a video message posted on Instagram.
In a post on X, Sibal said the government's approach was to deny problems initially, ignore protests if they continued, label demonstrators as "anarchists", and use force against those raising concerns. He added that the government then moved towards setting up a task force for exam reforms.
The independent Rajya Sabha MP, who has frequently criticised the government, questioned the timing of the move following weeks of protests over alleged irregularities in competitive examinations.
According to the government, the multidisciplinary panel will include experts from various fields. Apart from Nilekani, the members include former ISRO chairman S Somanath, former Intelligence Bureau director Tapan Deka, IIT Madras director V Kamakoti, former education secretary Anita Karwal and logistics expert Amrit Lal Meena.
The Prime Minister's announcement came after a 36-day agitation over the NEET paper leak issue ended with the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Modi said the government would implement the recommendations of the task force to establish a reliable and transparent examination system, with a focus on technology upgrades and structural reforms in the NTA.
(With inputs from PTI)