Omar Abdullah demands states regain control over NEET and JEE exams
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Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has questioned the Centre's control over national entrance examinations such as NEET and JEE, calling for states to regain control of exams that fall within their responsibilities.
Addressing an Independence Day event at Srinagar's Bakshi Stadium, Abdullah said education and health fall under the state list and argued that the centralisation of examinations had contributed to recent student protests.
"The recent student protests were essentially due to overreach of the central government in matters falling under the state list," Abdullah said.
He said the Centre should retain control of examinations only for national institutions such as the IITs and IIMs, while other examinations should be handled by states.
Abdullah called for matters under the state list to be restored "in the true spirit of federalism", arguing that democracy and federalism are basic pillars of India's Constitution. He also called for democratic institutions to be protected and strengthened.
His comments came after a month-long student agitation in Delhi over examination irregularities and NEET paper leaks. The protests were led by the Cockroach Janta Party, founded by Abhijeet Dipke.
The group began its protest at Jantar Mantar on June 6. Ladakh activist Sonam Wangchuk joined the agitation with an indefinite hunger strike on June 28, which ended after 26 days.
The protests eventually led to the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. In his resignation letter, Pradhan said he had spent more than four decades working for students, teachers and educational reform.
Abdullah said the issue went beyond Jammu and Kashmir's demands for restoration of statehood and special status, arguing that all responsibilities constitutionally assigned to states should be restored across the country.