The Centre and the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) are set to hold a third round of negotiations on Saturday, July 25, as efforts continue to resolve the impasse over the NEET-UG paper leak controversy.
The fresh round of talks follows nearly two hours of discussions on Friday that failed to produce a breakthrough on the protesters’ principal demand for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, although the government agreed to two of the three key demands raised by the CJP.
Following Friday’s meeting, CJP leader Ashutosh Ranka said the Centre had sought time until Saturday afternoon to respond to the demand for the minister’s resignation. Union Minister J P Nadda confirmed that another meeting had been scheduled and said the government’s position would be conveyed after further deliberations.
Government sources, however, indicated that Pradhan’s resignation was not under consideration. According to the sources, stepping down would be the “easiest thing to do” and would amount to avoiding responsibility. Instead, the government is focusing on structural reforms of the National Testing Agency (NTA), with an internal assessment of institutional shortcomings completed and corrective measures expected to be rolled out shortly.
The second round of negotiations reflected a softer approach from the Centre, which agreed to hold the talks at the Constitution Club instead of a minister’s residence. The government also accepted two demands put forward by the CJP: no FIRs would be filed against peaceful participants of the July 20 ‘Chalo Sansad’ march, and compensation of ₹1 crore would be provided to the families of students who allegedly died by suicide in connection with the examination controversy.
However, CJP leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka reiterated that the resignation of the Union Education Minister remained non-negotiable and also demanded a public apology over the alleged police action against protesters.
In a major administrative move, the National Testing Agency on July 24 terminated the services of 47 officials as part of its response to the controversy. The Centre is also preparing a comprehensive overhaul of the agency’s outsourcing framework for examination-related work to strengthen oversight, improve accountability and address systemic vulnerabilities.
Separately, the Union Cabinet on Friday approved a draft bill proposing significantly tougher penalties for paper leak offences. The proposed legislation prescribes a minimum imprisonment of five years, extendable up to 10 years, along with fines of up to ₹10 crore for organised paper leak rackets. It also mandates the completion of investigations within three months and provides for fast-track courts to conduct trials. The bill is expected to be introduced in Parliament on Monday.
The latest developments follow a series of measures announced by the government over the past two days. Activist Sonam Wangchuk ended his 26-day hunger strike after receiving government assurances, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the establishment of fast-track courts to expedite paper leak cases.
Late on Friday night, the Prime Minister also released a second selfie-style video thanking young people for their response to his earlier message on the examination issue. In the video posted on Instagram, Modi said the suggestions shared by students had further strengthened his connection with the country’s youth and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to maintaining positive engagement on the issue.
The third round of talks is expected to determine whether the ongoing negotiations can break the deadlock over the Education Minister’s resignation while the Centre simultaneously pushes ahead with legislative and institutional reforms aimed at restoring confidence in the country’s examination system.
