Govt to set up fast track courts toensure swift punishment for culprits, says PM

 CJP unhappy with announcement, reiterates demand for Pradhan's resignation

PTI, July 23, 2026, New Delhi : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the welfare and interest of the country's youth is the top priority of the government, and anyone trying to harm their future will not be spared.

Amid continuing protests by youths over the NEET paper leak, the Prime Minister also said that the Union government has decided to set up fast-track courts to ensure swift and stringent punishment for those involved in paper leaks.

"Nothing is more important than the welfare and future of our youth! Those who try to harm the future of our youth will not be spared," Modi said in a post on X.

He said he has directed the concerned authorities and officials to take all necessary steps on the issue of paper leaks.

"This continues our series of steps for safeguarding the interests of students," the Prime Minister said.

Modi's first public message on the NEET paper leaks came on Tuesday, when he spoke about the issue at a meeting of the NDA Parliamentary Party.

There was no live telecast of this speech, nor was there any statement. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju and some MPs shared what Modi said at that meeting.

According to them, the PM said that strong action was taken against those involved in the "grave sin" of the paper leaks so that no one plays with the future of the youth.

Modi said all state governments and the Centre must join hands on the issue as it is "not a matter of party politics but a matter of national interest".

He also told NDA MPs that they should remain closely connected with the people with "warmth and affection" and that the "trust of the youth" needed to be won.

Rijiju said Modi told the MPs that the government acted immediately after reports of the paper leak surfaced, and 13 people were arrested.

"At the same time, the Prime Minister noted that to ensure that students' future was not affected, the NEET re-examination was given priority, conducted successfully, and the results were declared without delay," Rijiju said.

The Prime Minister termed the NEET paper leak "ghor paap (grave sin)", the MPs who attended the meeting said.

The exam is conducted for admission to undergraduate courses in medical colleges.

The Prime Minister pointed out that while the NEET re-examination created inconvenience for children, not only did the re-test take place without delay, but the government also engaged renowned lawyers to ensure strict punishment for those involved.

Modi, the MPs said, conveyed clearly that there should be no injustice to students and suggested that it was easy to misguide them but difficult to show them the right path.

Modi had also stressed the need to punish the guilty and collaboratively establish a foolproof system.

The CJP, which has been spearheading protests over alleged examination irregularities since June, has demanded that Pradhan be immediately sacked and Rs 1 crore compensation be given to the families of those who committed suicide after the NEET paper leak.

Activist Sonam Wangchuk has been on an indefinite hunger strike since June 28 after he joined the CJP's agitation.

He was earlier forcibly shifted to Safdarjung Hospital by police, and was later moved to Medanta Hospital in Gurugram following a Delhi High Court order.

Two Union ministers — J. P. Nadda and Jitendra Singh — met Wangchuk at the hospital on Wednesday.

Nadda also met some of the injured protesters at Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital here, besides holding a meeting with two representatives of the CJP, in a bid to resolve the issue.

The government has also announced that it was ready for an intensive discussion on the NEET paper leaks on the floor of Parliament.

Both Houses of Parliament have failed to transact any business for the first three days of the Monsoon Session, which commenced on July 20, due to disruptions caused by the Opposition.

A government functionary on Wednesday ruled out Pradhan's resignation, saying he could not be blamed for the paper leak as he was in no way involved in it.

However, the CJP, which is spearheading the students' protest, said the Prime Minister's announcement on action against paper leaks did not address the issue of accountability and reiterated its demand for Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation.

Reacting to the Prime Minister's post on X, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke shared an image of Pradhan carrying the caption: "Hi, my name is nothing", while the CJP posted: "Dharmendra Pradhan Must Resign."

CJP national spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka welcomed the Prime Minister's response but said it came after nearly one-and-a-half months of protests and did not answer the central question behind repeated paper leaks.

"It is good that after one-and-a-half months of protests, the Prime Minister has finally taken notice. Perhaps his foreign visits are over and he has returned to India, which is a good thing," Ranka said.

"But what punishment are you imposing after the paper leak has already taken place? That is not going to solve the problem of paper leaks. The real question is why paper leaks are happening in the first place. That question must be answered," he said.

"Applying ointment after an injury is one thing, but the real fight is about preventing the injury from happening in the first place. The injury keeps happening because the people running the system are neither accountable nor competent. Therefore, these measures are not sufficient by any means," he said.