Education Secretary transferred : New law to be enacted as well !

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses students through a video message at midnight over question paper leak

• Special fast-track court to be established

New Delhi – In connection with the question paper leak in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test, the Union Government has abruptly transferred the Secretary of Higher Education. Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveyed this information to students through a video message broadcast at midnight. The Prime Minister said that the Union Government had taken important steps at the judicial and legal levels, along with administrative measures. The Union Government’s decision is likely to calm the student agitation that has erupted in Delhi over the question paper leak.

Prime Minister Modi further said, 

1.    Senior officials in the Ministry of Education have been transferred, and a special fast-track court has been started in Delhi for speedy hearings of cases related to question paper leaks. In addition, a Bill containing stringent punishments, fast-track courts and effective legal provisions will be introduced in Parliament in the second week of the session to make the examination process more secure, transparent and trustworthy. Before that, it will be presented before the Union Cabinet for its approval.
2.    Question paper leaks cause huge losses to lakhs of students and parents. Therefore, several accused have been arrested and sent to prison over the past few months.
3.    To ensure that students do not lose an academic year, examinations for 22 lakh students were conducted within a short period and the results were declared on 19 July.

Several officials transferred 

As part of the reshuffle in the Ministry of Education, Higher Education Secretary Vineet Joshi has been appointed Secretary of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj. Naresh Pal Gangwar has been entrusted with the responsibility of the Department of Higher Education in his place. Along with this, T.K. Anil Kumar has been appointed Secretary of the Department of School Education and Literacy, while Katikithala Srinivas has been appointed Secretary of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region. Secretary of the Ministry of Mines Piyush Goyal has been appointed Secretary-General of the National Human Rights Commission. All these appointments have received the approval of the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet.

Anu Grover Baliga appointed Special Judge 

The Delhi High Court has appointed Judge Anu Grover Baliga as Special Judge for the speedy trial of cases related to question paper leaks. The special fast-track court established at the Rouse Avenue Court Complex will hear cases registered under the ‘Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024’, as well as related criminal cases.