New Delhi: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said the opposition’s anger “came to nothing” after the Centre acted swiftly in response to an exam question paper leak.
In an interview to ANI, Sitharaman said some young candidates initially felt they were the first victims of the leak, but later told her they used the situation to prepare better and improve their scores. She said the government and the Prime Minister responded to the challenge.
According to her, the government moved quickly, with the accused arrested in time. A re-examination was conducted on schedule and results were announced promptly, enabling students to proceed with choosing higher education institutions.
Sitharaman noted that anxiety among students is natural when a leak leads to a re-test, and that opposition parties would be expected to react if the government failed to act. However, she said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s prompt steps neutralised the criticism.
She added that even before the announcement of setting up fast-track courts to ensure speedy punishment for those who leaked, bought or sold the paper, those involved in leaking the NEET question paper had already been arrested.
