Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has questioned the Centre over its handling of key exams like NEET and JEE and demanded it should return control of the tests back to the states.
Referring to the recent protests led by the satirical political group Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), the chief minister alleged it was the Centre’s overreach on matters that should have been essentially with the states that eventually sparked the protest. Education and health falls under the state list. “Democracy and federalism are basic pillars of our constitution. He underscored the need to safeguard democratic institutions and strengthen federalism. “Protecting democracy at all costs is our greatest responsibility. After the month-long student agitation in Delhi seeking his resignation over exam irregularities and NEET paper leaks, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had resigned. I have always believed that a robust, inclusive, and visionary education system forms the cornerstone of a strong nation.”
“The recent student protests were essentially due to overreach of the central government in matters falling under the state list. What has been taken away from us should be restored so that the federal structure of our country becomes stronger,” he said.
Abdullah said education and health are matters that fall under the state list in the country’s federalism setup. The Centre should keep the control of exams only for national institutions like IITs and IIMs, he said. All the exams that were held by the states earlier have been brought under central control through NEET and JEE,” Abdullah said. It’s not the question of restoring our statehood and special status alone, all matters that fall under the state list must be restored to all the states,” he said. In his resignation letter, Pradhan said, “For over four decades, I have dedicated myself to the cause of students, teachers, and educational reform.
