NEW DELHI: Taking responsibility for the NEET-UG episode, which he said “should not have happened”, Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan accused Rahul Gandhi of exploiting students’ anxiety for political gain and promised a “radical” overhaul of NTA, including moving NEET to computer-based testing (CBT) next year.In an interview to TOI, Pradhan said criticism was legitimate in a democracy, but “intent and timing matter”. He alleged Rahul “jumped in” on the Nagpur candidate’s complaint that he was allotted a centre in Abu Dhabi despite NTA having “proactively” rectified the issue, and blamed a Congress rally in Bengaluru for disrupting candidates’ movement to NEET centres. “Rahul Gandhi must apologise,” he said.The May 3 exam, he said, was cancelled after a whistleblower flagged a compromise to NTA, which alerted govt on May 7, and the matter was placed before PM Modi and the home minister, with the leadership resolving not to let any student’s interest be “compromised at the hands of education mafias”.You’ve accused the opposition of politicising exam co-ntroversies. Does opposing amount to politicising it?India is a democracy, and criticism is a citizen’s right – but intent and timing matter. Whatever happened should not have happened, and I hold myself responsible and answerable; it is also the department’s duty to fix it and bring the system back on track. We don’t fear criticism, we learn from it – that is our govt’s character. But these are young children, and nothing should raise their mental stress. Congress and the leader of the opposition were waiting to disrupt NEET, leaving nothing undone. In the Nagpur case, the student chose Abu Dhabi himself. NTA had no fault, yet rectified it proactively; but the father still attacked NTA publicly. And, within minutes, Rahul Gandhi jumped in. This nexus proves their role is to create anarchy, not act responsibly. They crossed all limits. In Bengaluru, their rally honouring party netas stopped many students reaching their exam centres. Rahul Gandhi must apologise unconditionally.You have also called Cockroach Janta Party a proxy. Whose proxy?Everyone knew what they wanted to do, their agenda. But that plan was not happening according to their expectation. Who joins them? The andolan jeevi, those who do not want the system to be built, those with a mindset of perennially disturbing the system, comes with them. They are the same old people, rejected in democracy. I am also a social worker. I too have come from the student movement and welcome criticism. If there is something to learn from it, I also meet people. But your objective is stunt-baazi.Did NTA insiders breach trust?CBI is investigating. Prima facie, some of NTA’s own people are involved – there is no doubt about that. But it would be inappropriate to comment further now. The inquiry will conclude very soon.NTA will be radically transformed into a transparent, accountable body, and its image repaired. The 22-23 lakh candidates who appear for NEET next year will move to CBT, just as JEE, UGC-NET, CSIR-NET and the ICAR entrance exams. NTA examines nearly 1 crore students every year. After eight years, reform is absolutely necessary, drawn from experience and wider consultation.Will NEET be held more than once a year and how big a challenge is it to move into CBT mode?It is open for discussion. The Radhakrishnan Committee, accountable to Supreme Court, made medium- and long-term recommendations. Through broader public consultation – involving students, teachers and opinion-makers – we will decide on multiple attempts and on decentralising the conduct of the exam, and convert the right suggestions into policy.What led to the cancellation of NEET-UG?NEET was held on May 3. On May 7, the whistleblower informed the NTA DG. The NTA DG brought that issue before me. We spoke to govt agencies concerned. It was found that there had been a compromise. It was placed before the PM and the home minister. The leadership decided that, keeping the future of the country’s children in mind, we will not allow even one good student’s interest to be compromised in the hands of the education mafia. We took the decision to cancel the exam.CBSE’s on-screen marking is another controversy.A student has every right to re-check and verify their own answer sheet. Prima facie, OSM was implemented in haste. The then-CBSE leadership should have listened to whistleblowers with greater sensitivity. CBSE will have to think through how to proceed, and consult parents, teachers and students.Cyberattacks have exposed vulnerabilities in the digital infrastructure of CBSE.The CBSE evaluation portal faced 30 lakh cyberattacks within minutes, but our system was robust and held. Our own agency, I4C, had warned that such disruption was possible. No system is accident-proof – I regard this as a one-time accident. We will fix it, not run from it. CERT-In and our IT teams will continue regular monitoring, because this is about the country’s digital infrastructure, not CBSE alone.How do you view whistleblowers?Whistleblowers have a role and should be valued, within decorum. In NTA, the alert was acted upon in time. CBSE’s leadership should have listened more sensitively. Even a three-line suggestion must not be ignored. Children, teachers, experts and opinion-makers must be heard, and the right suggestions converted into policy.