Pralhad Joshi took charge as India’s new Union education minister and immediately held review meetings with senior ministry officials, before separately summoning representatives of the National Testing Agency (NTA) to his residence amid the controversy over a leaked NEET question paper.
Taking charge and immediate briefings
Joshi, who also continues as Union minister for food and consumer affairs, arrived at Kartavya Bhawan at about 11.30am and assumed responsibility for the education portfolio on Sunday. He received briefings from the newly appointed school education secretary, T K Anil Kumar, and from the outgoing higher secretary, Vineet Joshi, who had been removed in the wake of the NEET paper leak.
The officials presented details of the ministry’s schemes and programmes. Ministers of State present included Jayant Chaudhary; another MoS, Sukanta Majumdar, was absent as he was away.
Meeting with the National Testing Agency
Later in the day the minister is reported to have called a separate meeting with NTA officials, the body responsible for conducting competitive examinations such as NEET, UGC NET and CUET. The move follows student protests and the resignation of Joshi’s predecessor, who stepped down after the NEET question paper leak triggered widespread demonstrations.
- Focus: review of examination processes administered by the NTA.
- Context: the meeting comes after the NEET paper leak and ensuing protests that led to a ministerial resignation.
- Personnel: briefings from both newly appointed and outgoing senior secretaries.
Parliamentary timetable and immediate expectations
Parliament is due to resume on Monday, and the education ministry faces 41 parliamentary questions, of which three are starred. Starred questions require oral answers in the House and allow for supplementary questions from members; unstarred items are answered in writing. Joshi, together with his two deputies, is expected to respond to starred questions if the Lok Sabha sits during Question Hour.
The list of questions includes at least one reference to a teacher recruitment examination in Andhra Pradesh that mentions a question paper leak; this was raised by two MPs of the YSR Congress Party as an unstarred question.
Practical implications for students and schools
Alongside concerns about high-stakes examinations, Joshi flagged operational issues such as delays in the supply of fundamental items like school uniforms. The combination of examination integrity concerns and day-to-day school provisioning suggests the ministry will face pressure on multiple fronts in the coming days.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Parliamentary questions | 41 (including 3 starred) |
| Key agencies involved | National Testing Agency, Ministry of Education secretariat |
How the new minister and the NTA respond to calls for investigation and reform will be watched closely by students, parents and universities. The immediate summons to the NTA and the presence of senior secretariat figures at the initial briefings indicate the ministry intends to address both the procedural and operational aspects of the crisis.
