NEW DELHI: PM Modi late Thursday announced that the Union Cabinet will on Friday discuss a bill to further strengthen the anti-cheating law to ensure stricter punishment to offenders.Hours after ordering the establishment of fast-track courts, in a recorded message posted on social media at midnight, PM said that based on the discussion a bill will be moved on Monday, when the second week of the current Parliament session begins, and govt will seek its passage at the earliest.“Fast-track courts and strict punishment will be discussed in the Cabinet tomorrow and it will be given final shape after the discussion,” Modi said, while underlining that govt has been working on addressing the concerns related to medical entrance exams paper leak over the last two and a half months. He said that govt had so far focused on ensuring that students did not lose a year and decided to conduct exams for 22 lakh students, using “all its might”, with results also declared.PM Modi’s message through the unusual mode came minutes after govt replaced the education secretary amid the ongoing protests against the NEET paper leak.Over the last two days, officials said, PMO has been engaged with the education ministry over the NEET exam, retest and K Radhakrishnan committee on NTA reforms, with over two dozen queries flowing from Seva Teerth.I know a paper leak is not an ordinary incident, it is very painful for lakhs of students and their parents… The culprits have been caught and are in jail. Our first and foremost responsibility was to ensure that the NEET aspirants did not lose an academic year. We used all resources to ensure that the re-exam was held in record time and results are out and lakhs of students are also celebrating,” he said in the video message on X.The PM said more needed to be done, hinting the bill wo-uld be a step in that direction.“Nothing is more important than the welfare and future of our youth! Those who try to harm (it) will not be spared,” he said in a post on X.
