PM Modi's Instagram following jumps by nearly 1 million overnight after he posts selfie video addressing NEET paper leak; total reaches 102 million

Prime Minister Narendra Modi gained around 1 million Instagram followers overnight after posting a selfie-style video addressing concerns over the NEET paper leak and outlining the Centre's plans to strengthen the examination system.

The video, shared on Thursday night, came amid nationwide protests over the NEET-UG paper leak controversy and a series of government measures aimed at restoring confidence in competitive examinations.

As of Friday, the Prime Minister's Instagram account had crossed 102 million followers.

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A post shared by Narendra Modi (@narendramodi)

PM Modi's NEET video goes viral on Instagram

The video, captioned "More strict actions against paper leaks to come in tomorrow's Cabinet!", has received more than 271 million views, 15 million likes and 1.3 million comments on Instagram.

In the video, Prime Minister Modi acknowledged the anxiety faced by students and parents following the paper leak controversy and assured them that the government was taking decisive action.

"I know that paper leak is not an ordinary issue. It is very painful for lakh of students and their guardians," he said.

The Prime Minister said the government had acted swiftly after the controversy emerged.

"Numerous effective measures have been taken in the past two and a half months since the paper leak incident. The culprits have been caught and are in jail."

He added that ensuring students did not lose an academic year remained the government's priority.

"Our most important responsibility was to ensure that students' year is not wasted. The government used all its might to ensure that 22 lakh students could take their exams in the shortest possible time," he said.

Union Cabinet approves tougher anti-paper leak law

A day after the Prime Minister's announcement, the Union Cabinet approved amendments to the anti-paper leak law proposing significantly stricter punishment for those involved in examination fraud.

According to sources quoted by TOI, the proposed legislation provides for:

• Up to 10 years' imprisonment
• A fine of up to Rs 10 crore
• An increase in the minimum jail term from three years to five years

The Bill is expected to be introduced in Parliament next week as part of the Centre's wider push to strengthen the integrity of competitive examinations.

NTA removes 47 officials as overhaul gathers pace

In another major development, the National Testing Agency (NTA) on Friday terminated the services of nearly 47 officials as part of what ANI sources described as a "complete overhaul" of the examination body.

According to sources quoted by ANI, legal and criminal proceedings will also be initiated against some of the officials, with further reforms expected in the coming weeks.

The action comes as the Centre seeks to tighten accountability and improve the credibility of the examination system following the paper leak controversy.

NEET-UG paper leak controversy triggered nationwide protests

The NTA has remained under intense scrutiny since the leak of the NEET-UG question paper on May 3, which resulted in the cancellation of the examination and a re-test conducted on June 26 for more than 22 lakh students.

Investigations by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) have so far indicated the alleged involvement of translators empanelled by the NTA in Maharashtra in the question paper leak.

Inputs from agencies