NEW DELHI: As protests against the NEET paper ‘leak’ flared up, the Centre on Thursday shifted higher education secretary Vineet Joshi to the ministry of panchayati raj and appointed new officials to top positions in both the school education and higher education departments.
Meet the new education secretary
Other changes
The Centre also appointed new officials to senior positions in both the school education and higher education departments as the ministry remains under scrutiny over the alleged NEET paper leak and other examination-related controversies.Separately, the Delhi high court on Thursday designated a fast-track court at the Rouse Avenue Court Complex to exclusively hear offences under the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, and related cases.Judicial officer Anu Grover Baliga, who was serving as judge in charge of the Mediation Centre at Tis Hazari Courts, has been transferred as special judge to head the newly designated court.The high court directed that all pending cases under the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, and connected offences be transferred to the newly created fast-track court.The move follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement that the Centre would set up fast-track courts to ensure “swift and stringent punishment” for those involved in examination paper leaks.
Reactions
Though the government replaced the education secretary, Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijheet Dipke was not impressed.In a post on X, Dipke said, “The government is rewarding corruption instead of ensuring accountability!”He said that replacing the higher education secretary with another bureaucrat facing corruption allegations amounted to “a direct insult to young people” and reiterated the party’s demand for Pradhan’s resignation.Congress leader Pawan Khera also criticised the appointment, alleging that the government had replaced the education secretary with an official who should himself be under scrutiny over alleged subsidy-related irregularities involving his family.The developments come as the CJP’s protest over the alleged NEET paper leak continues at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, with demonstrators demanding accountability, reforms in the examination system and the resignation of Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
