NEW DELHI: At their second round of talks on Friday, the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) told the government that its three demands — exit of Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Rs 1 crore compensation for NEET-UG victims, and no legal action against protesters — were non-negotiable.
Union ministers J P Nadda and Dr Jitendra Singh, the interlocutors who spoke to the CJP delegation at Vithalbhai Patel House, said they had heard the demands and will get back on Saturday. “They had three main demands and five reform suggestions for exams. We told them we will meet again tomorrow afternoon and share the government’s perspective,” Nadda said.
The deliberations, described as cordial by the ministers, reportedly saw the government agree to two demands — adequate compensation for the families of those who allegedly died by suicide following the paper leak, and the withdrawal of cases against the protesting youth.
However, indications are that the government will not ask Pradhan to quit. Instead, it intends to shift the focus towards sweeping reforms of the examination system through legislation and administrative measures.
“The priority is to restore confidence of the students by introducing measures to prevent future exam paper leaks, strengthen safeguards within the exam process and ensure those responsible for the leaks are brought to justice,” several well-placed sources said.
The Centre has already taken a slew of steps, including a top bureaucratic reshuffle and sacked many NTA officials as part of a wider overhaul. It’s the NTA that runs national competitive exams like NEET.
In the event of a Cabinet reshuffle, Pradhan’s portfolio could change, the sources said. But no such exercise appears to be on the horizon in the short run.
