Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the Union Government never prevented students from holding protests over the NEET paper leak controversy.Responding to criticism that the government had delayed its response to widespread student demonstrations, she stated that permission had been granted for protests and that the authorities did not attempt to suppress them.

According to Sitharaman, the government's immediate priority was to ensure that those responsible for the examination paper leak were identified, arrested and brought into the judicial process while also conducting the NEET re-examination on time so that students would not lose an academic year.She argued that balancing accountability with the timely completion of the admission process was essential.

Sitharaman further said Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's decision to resign came only after the successful completion of the re-examination process, describing it as a prudent and responsible step.She maintained that resigning before ensuring the examination process was completed would have been irresponsible from an administrative standpoint.In addition to addressing the education issue, the Finance Minister spoke about inflationary pressures facing the country.She noted that India remains vulnerable to both global and domestic factors affecting prices.

Referring to concerns over El Niño and inadequate rainfall in key catchment areas, she warned that shortages of water for irrigation and drinking purposes could create additional inflationary pressures.

Sitharaman emphasised that inflation in India cannot be viewed solely as an imported phenomenon, as climatic conditions and domestic agricultural challenges also play a significant role in influencing prices.