Rahul Gandhi seeks discussion on NEET in LS, opposition walks out
New Delhi (PTI): Opposition members on Monday demanded a separate one-day discussion on the NEET paper leak issue in the Lok Sabha and staged a walkout after they sought a clear assurance from the government on the issue.
Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi raised the issue of irregularities in NEET soon after the Lok Sabha assembled for the day, prompting Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to assert that a separate discussion cannot be held till the House finishes with the motion of thanks on the president’s address.
"We wanted a one day discussion on NEET. It is an important issue. More than two crore students have been affected. Paper leaks have happened on 70 occasions. We would be happy if you allow a separate discussion on the issue," Gandhi said.
Singh, deputy leader of the Lok Sabha, said the House has certain rules and procedures and also on healthy tradition, which are a strength of this House
"In my decades-long tenure as a parliamentarian, never has any other issue been taken up during the motion of thanks on the president's address. Other issues can be raised after passing the motion of thanks," Singh said.
Seizing on his comments, Gandhi and other opposition leaders insisted that the House discuss the issue after the debate on the motion of thanks and sought a specific assurance from the government.
"We can send a message from Parliament to the students that the issue of NEET is very important for us," Gandhi said.
Speaker Om Birla said there was no convention of taking up any other discussion during the debate on the motion of thanks and members can give a separate notice for the discussion on NEET.
Opposition members were on their feet as the speaker called on BJP member Anurag Thakur to initiate the discussion on the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address.
Opposition members continued to insist on a categorical assurance from the government on having a separate discussion on NEET and staged a walkout.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
PM Modi arrives in Netherlands on second leg of his five-nation tour
Amsterdam (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in the Netherlands on Friday on the second leg of his five-nation tour, during which he will hold talks with his Dutch counterpart Rob Jetten to further deepen bilateral cooperation in areas such as trade, technology, defence and renewable energy.
The prime minister arrived in the Netherlands after a brief stopover of around two-and-a-half hours in the UAE, where he held talks with UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi.
Modi's visit to the European nation from May 15 to 17 is his second trip to the country after his 2017 visit and comes at what officials described as an "important juncture" in India-Netherlands ties.
During the visit, Prime Minister Modi will hold bilateral talks with PM Jetten and will also meet King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima.
Modi is also expected to address the Indian community and interact with leading Dutch business leaders during the visit.
MEA officials said the visit carries a “rich and substantive agenda” and is expected to consolidate the strategic dimensions of the partnership that have emerged through sustained engagement between the two countries.
India and the Netherlands have significantly expanded cooperation in recent years beyond traditional sectors such as trade, investment and the priority areas of water, agriculture and health.
The partnership has grown in strategic sectors, including technology, innovation, defence, security, semiconductors, renewable energy, education and the maritime domain, the MEA said.
The Netherlands is one of India’s largest trade destinations in Europe, with bilateral trade valued at USD 27.8 billion in 2024-25. It is also India’s fourth-largest investor, with cumulative foreign direct investment amounting to USD 55.6 billion, officials said.
People-to-people ties remain a key pillar of the bilateral relationship. The Netherlands is home to more than 90,000 non-resident Indians and persons of Indian origin, besides over 200,000 members of the Suriname-Hindustani community. Around 3,500 Indian students are currently enrolled in Dutch universities.
Officials noted that Modi's visit to the Netherlands and three other European nations -- Sweden, Norway, and Italy -- comes against the backdrop of the India-EU Free Trade Agreement finalised earlier this year and the India-EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement signed in 2025.
