"Govt sensitive to students' concerns": Nirmala Sitharaman says PM Modi assured fast-track punishment for paper leak culprits
New Delhi, July 23
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday asserted that the Central government is "very sensitive" to the issues facing the youth, particularly regarding exam paper leakages.
In an interview with ANI, the Minister highlighted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already responded to the situation, ensuring that those who "violated the sacredness" of examinations will face swift justice.
Addressing the recent controversies surrounding competitive exams, Sitharaman stated that the government's proactive stance renders the opposition's "tirade" baseless.
"A matter which relates to students, young people of this country, particularly about their preparation for exams, exam paper leakage and re-exam... these are very, very sensitive for that age of the children who are undergoing the preparation. If the government is not sensitive or not reacting, I can understand the opposition going on a tirade like this. At the level of the Prime Minister, a response has been given," Sitharaman told ANI.
The Finance Minister pointed out that the government had initiated action even before the formal announcement of administrative measures.
"In fact, much before today's announcement of setting up fast-track courts and assuring the punishments will be handed over to those people who violated the sacredness of an exam by leaking the papers, by buying papers, by selling papers--even earlier to this announcement, the government arrested those people who actually committed this crime," she said.
Describing the perpetrators as "ordinary citizens" driven by "selfish reasons," she said that they have been taken into custody for compromising the careers of thousands of students.
"They are people who, for their selfish reasons, violated and bought and sold papers. They have all been arrested. Today's announcement by the Prime Minister assures the citizens, the mothers and the fathers who are supporting their children to make sure that they pass these examinations because it's their career," she added.
Sitharaman further emphasized that the establishment of a fast-track process would ensure that those who committed this "terrible crime against the young generation" are punished at the earliest.
Defending the government's management of the crisis, the Minister noted that the swift conduct of re-examinations and the timely declaration of results have allowed students to proceed with their higher education plans.
"Now, if this response had not come from the government--making sure that arrests are done in time, re-exams happen on time, and results are announced... young people are now finding the institutions where they have to go for their higher education. All this is happening," the Minister said.
She also shared a positive perspective on the resilience of the student community, noting that many candidates used the additional time to improve their performance.
"There are young people who are coming out and saying, 'Yes, first it sort of hurt me when the paper leakage happened. But later I took advantage of that and prepared even more and my performance has improved.' So there are young people who have taken this challenge and come out in bright colors. With all this, the government is responding, the PM is responding," Sitharaman concluded.
— ANI
Reader Comments
I appreciate the government's sensitivity, but why did it take so long? These paper leaks have been happening for years. And what about the students who lost an entire year because of the mess? A re-exam is fine, but the mental trauma is irreparable. 😔 Hope the fast-track courts deliver real justice.
As someone who's watched this from abroad, it's heartening to see the Indian government taking strong action. In many countries, such scandals just get swept under the rug. The PM's personal intervention sends a clear message. But the real change needs to come in the system—digitization and better security protocols.
Sitharaman ji is right—these criminals are 'ordinary citizens' driven by greed. But the question is: why is the system so easy to hack? We need stronger CCTV surveillance, biometric verification, and last-minute paper changes. Arrests are good, but prevention is better. My younger sister is preparing for NEET, and I worry every day. 😟
Honestly, this is just damage control. The government is only reacting because the opposition made noise. Where was the sensitivity when the leaks first happened? And fast-track courts? Let's see how many get convicted. The real test will be if these courts work without political pressure. I'll believe it when I see it.
Great to see the government acting swiftly. The PM's assurance of fast-track punishment is exactly what we needed. Students work so hard, and these leakers ruin everything. I'm glad the re-exams were conducted on time and results came out. Some of my friends actually improved their scores
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