Many people are saying, “The problem isn’t the minister; it’s the system. So why ask for a resignation?”
They’re right about one thing: the system does need to be fixed.
But that doesn’t mean accountability is unnecessary.
These are two separate issues.
One asks, “How do we prevent this from happening again?”
The other asks, “Who takes responsibility when it has already happened?”
A minister may not have personally committed the wrongdoing, but they are politically responsible for the ministry they lead. If leadership deserves credit when things go well, it must also accept responsibility when serious failures occur.
A resignation is not necessarily an admission of personal guilt. It is an acknowledgment that a major failure occurred under that leadership and that accountability matters in a democracy.
The NEET controversy has raised serious concerns about the integrity of one of India’s most important examinations. Fixing the system is essential. But accountability and reform are not alternatives – they go together.
A healthy democracy needs both.