Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday defended the Centre's handling of the NEET controversy, saying the government's foremost priority was to ensure that students did not lose an academic year. Speaking at NDTV Profit Business Leadership Awards, Sitharaman said the government acted swiftly after allegations of exam leaks surfaced, with its focus firmly on protecting students' interests.
"The focus was on ensuring students' year wasn't wasted," she said. The Finance Minister stressed that the government did not undermine the protests led by students. The governemnt never stopped youngsters from protesting and responded to the voice of the youth, she said. "Youngsters' protest will make a difference," Sitharaman said.
She added that it was the government's responsibility to ensure that the re-NEET examination was conducted and that timely action was taken to minimise the impact of the alleged paper leak.
Sitharaman also said the government needs to stay closely connected to the aspirations and concerns of young Indians.
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"Youngsters want good and timely measures. We have to keep our ears closer to the ground," she said.
On government communication, the Finance Minister said official messaging should evolve to better connect with Gen Z while maintaining legal clarity.
"The government must speak the language of Gen Z. Communication should be simple, not verbose, and should not sound bureaucratic," she said.
However, Sitharaman cautioned that official communication cannot become overly casual because every government statement is subject to legal scrutiny.
"Every official statement can be tested in court. Clarity cannot come at the cost of legal precision, and the government cannot afford ambiguous communication," she said, adding that while messaging should be easier to understand, it must remain legally sound.
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