Stray Dog Survey Begins in Bhubaneswar to Boost Animal Welfare

Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Tuesday accused the Congress of failing to establish the National Testing Agency (NTA) despite repeated recommendations during the UPA era, while crediting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government for creating the agency and enacting a law to curb examination malpractices. Speaking during the debate on the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, Singh said the Modi government had completed an “unfinished task” left by previous administrations. He noted that the concept of a national testing body was first proposed in 1992 and reiterated in 2010 under the UPA, but never implemented. “The Modi government has done what others failed to do,” Singh said, adding that the NTA was formally constituted in 2017 to conduct national‑level entrance exams. Defending the need for stricter legislation, Singh said the amendment strengthens the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, India’s first law against organised exam fraud. He called it a “milestone legislation” that ensures “no one compromises with the future of the children of Mother India.” Rejecting Opposition criticism, the minister argued that paper leaks had occurred under multiple governments, citing instances from 2009 to 2013 including the Railway Recruitment Board, AIEEE, AIIMS, and Maharashtra board exams. The NTA has been at the centre of recent political debates following the alleged NEET‑UG paper leak, with Opposition parties demanding greater accountability and reforms. The Centre maintains that while isolated irregularities occurred, there was no systemic compromise of the examination process. Singh’s remarks reinforced the government’s stance that the new law represents a comprehensive effort to protect students and restore trust in India’s public examination system.