Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Monday launched a sharp attack on the Centre over the alleged NEET examination paper leak, describing it as a grave breach of trust that has shattered the aspirations of millions of students across the country. Addressing a gathering at the State Congress headquarters in Shimla, the Chief Minister said that compromising the future of young people through irregularities in competitive examinations is unacceptable in a democracy.
The Chief Minister was speaking at the launch of the Himachal Pradesh Youth Congress’ statewide campaign, ‘Chhatron Kee Goonj’, an outreach programme aimed at mobilising public opinion on issues affecting students, particularly the controversy surrounding the NEET examination. The campaign will include protests, public meetings and awareness programmes across all Assembly constituencies in the state.
Expressing concern over repeated allegations of irregularities in recruitment and competitive examinations, Sukhu said the credibility of the country’s examination system must be protected at all costs. He remarked that the alleged NEET paper leak had deeply affected the confidence of students who spend years preparing for one of India’s most competitive entrance examinations.
The Chief Minister also criticised the Agniveer recruitment scheme, stating that the four-year military service model had reduced enthusiasm among the youth of Himachal Pradesh, a state with a long and distinguished tradition of contributing personnel to the armed forces. He said thousands of young people who once viewed military service as a stable career now faced uncertainty under the new recruitment framework.
Drawing a comparison with the previous BJP government in Himachal Pradesh, Sukhu alleged that paper leak scandals had also affected state-level recruitment examinations, including police recruitment and examinations conducted by the former Himachal Pradesh Staff Selection Commission. He said his government had taken corrective measures by establishing the Himachal Pradesh Rajya Chayan Aayog to ensure transparency, fairness and accountability in future recruitment processes.
Highlighting his government’s focus on educational reforms, the Chief Minister said Himachal Pradesh had made significant progress in improving the quality of education. Referring to national education rankings, he stated that the state, which had fallen to the 21st position in 2021, had now climbed to fifth place through sustained policy interventions. He expressed confidence that Himachal Pradesh would soon emerge as the country’s leading state in the field of education.
He said the government is strengthening school education by establishing modern CBSE-affiliated institutions across the state while simultaneously recruiting teachers to improve learning outcomes and provide students with better educational opportunities.
Beyond education, Sukhu outlined several initiatives aimed at strengthening healthcare infrastructure. He said residents of Himachal Pradesh collectively spend nearly ₹1,000 crore annually on treatment outside the state due to the lack of advanced medical facilities. To reduce this dependence, the government is upgrading hospitals with modern diagnostic and treatment equipment comparable to national institutions. He added that 3-Tesla MRI machines are being installed in all government medical colleges and robotic surgery facilities have already been introduced to improve specialised healthcare services.
The Chief Minister also highlighted the government’s efforts to strengthen the rural economy through natural farming. He said the state has introduced Minimum Support Price (MSP) procurement for naturally grown produce and is purchasing cow milk at ₹61 per litre and buffalo milk at ₹71 per litre as part of measures to enhance farmers’ incomes.
Referring to social welfare initiatives, Sukhu said the government has introduced education loans of up to ₹20 lakh at a concessional interest rate of one per cent to support students pursuing higher education. He also highlighted the ‘Children of the State’ initiative, under which nearly 6,000 orphaned children have been brought under government care for their education, welfare and overall development.
Turning to broader political issues, the Chief Minister criticised the Union Government for discontinuing the Revenue Deficit Grant to Himachal Pradesh and reiterated his support for the restoration of the Old Pension Scheme for state government employees. He questioned the BJP’s opposition to the pension scheme and expressed confidence that the Congress would retain power in Himachal Pradesh in the 2027 Assembly elections.
Reflecting on his own political journey, Sukhu said his public life began through student politics and credited the Congress Party with providing him the opportunity to serve the people of Himachal Pradesh as Chief Minister. He also recalled the party’s historical role in India’s freedom movement and nation-building through the establishment of premier institutions such as IITs and AIIMS.
Deputy Chief Whip Kewal Singh Pathania said the present government has taken firm action against those involved in examination irregularities and is committed to maintaining transparency in recruitment. National Youth Congress in-charge Jyotish H.M. announced that the ‘Chhatron Kee Goonj’ campaign would be carried to every Assembly constituency to engage students and citizens on issues concerning examination integrity and employment.
Himachal Pradesh Youth Congress President Chhattar Singh said the state government has ensured that employment opportunities are being provided strictly on the basis of merit, reinforcing public confidence in the recruitment system.
The programme concluded with participants observing a two-minute silence in memory of the students whose deaths have been linked by organisers to the distress caused by the NEET paper leak controversy. The gathering also offered prayers for peace and solidarity with students and families affected by examination-related uncertainty.
The launch of the campaign marks the beginning of a wider political and public engagement on issues of examination transparency, youth employment and educational reform, themes that are expected to remain central to Himachal Pradesh’s political discourse in the coming months.
This is a web-generated news report based on official information and publicly available sources and has been independently rewritten for originality, editorial clarity and a premium newspaper presentation.
