AA Edit | Sonam’s Historic Fast Ends, Focus on Edu Minister Now

It is most welcome that Sonam Wangchuk has given up his indefinite fast. The Ladakh activist’s sacrifice in staging a hunger strike for 26 days may have served its purpose as it brought national attention to the ‘NEET’ examination issue. It literally forced an unresponsive government, which thought nothing of a popular youth movement spurred by anger over the integrity of a crucial national medical entrance test being compromised beginning 48 days ago, to respond.

Having been seized of the matter in the wake of a dramatic escalation of protests that spread internationally from its roots at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, the government did bend in intensive crisis management, proposing to punish the exam paper leakers through fast-track courts under an amended law and agreeing to another demand of the protesting students of the Cockroach Janta Party not to charge protesting students with the law.

Government action may not have been in time to stave off a huge national demonstration of youth dissatisfaction over the breach of exam integrity that was by no means confined only to Neet, which was held again inconveniencing over a million students. But it appeared to act fast to make up lost ground over the credibility of its education minister, the call for whose resignation refuses to died down.

The government was prepared to shunt a senior bureaucrat who was doubling up in school and university education but would not consider calling for the resignation, or even a shuffle of portfolios of its minister who is staring down the barrel for his department failing so noticeably with glitches in the conduct of scores of examinations. Calling for Mr Dharmendra Pradhan’s head has become the fulcrum of the issue now, with the political opposition chiming in.

Police brutality in handling the young demonstrators, which included the use of the controversial pellet guns, may in part have been fuelled by the protests descending into chaotic rioting and stone throwing, but those most affected are the youth of India and not so much the lumpen or antisocial elements who may have used the opportunity to vent their disenchantment.

The Prime Minister may even have tried an Insta-type video shoot to touch base with Gen Z, the group disillusioned with the system of education. In his battle to arrest the growing dissent against the ruling party, the PM may have pushed the buttons for remedial action, but a timely probe may have ensured aspirational students don’t feel cheated by the unfairness of a crucial test.

What must be done after dealing with the protests and the Opposition trying to cash in on the popular dissent movement is usher in concrete reforms in the examination system which, given India’s IT competence, should pose little difficulty in switching to an ironclad computer-based testing methodology. What is even more needed is a complete overhaul of NEET, which cannot truly measure merit if it treats on par the rural student and the coaching institute-prepared repeat candidate.

Transparency in accepting that the police were overzealous in enforcement, willingness to concede that it is possible to reconsider the future of one minister, however politically valuable he may have been, and readiness to discuss with the Opposition leaders on the need to settle issues and get Parliament functioning again should be the formula that can bring some sort of closure.

Alienating the youth is not an option for anyone wishing to lead the nation, and apologising to the youth for the troubles they faced can only enhance the leader’s standing.