PM Modi assures youth, vows crackdown on exam paper leaks

NEW DELHI: Amid protests, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday described examination paper leaks as a "ghor paap" (grave sin), saying his government had acted swiftly against those responsible and would not allow anyone to toy with the future of the country's youth.

The remarks, made at the NDA Parliamentary Party meeting a day after thousands of students marched to Parliament demanding Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation, marked Modi's most direct intervention since the agitation intensified.

Briefing reporters, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said Modi told NDA MPs that the government had acted swiftly after reports of the leak surfaced, arresting 13 accused while ensuring students did not suffer by holding the NEET re-examination without delay and declaring the results promptly.


"The prime minister said strong action has been taken to ensure no one plays with the future of the youth," Rijiju said. Modi also urged the Centre and states to work together to curb paper leaks, saying the issue was above politics.

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"This is not a matter of party politics but a matter of national interest," Rijiju quoted the prime minister as saying, adding that the government had put in place stringent measures to prevent future leaks.

According to sources, Modi termed paper leaks a "ghor paap" and stressed that those responsible must face the strictest punishment. He said the government had engaged the country's best lawyers to ensure exemplary action against the accused.

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In a political message to the ruling alliance, Modi urged NDA MPs to stay closely connected with people "with warmth and affection" and stressed the need to win the trust of the youth. Sources said he also suggested an outreach programme for MPs to engage directly with students.

Besides the examination issue, Modi briefed MPs on the government's recent achievements and India's free trade agreements, assuring them that farmers' interests would remain paramount in all such pacts, Rijiju said.