Venezuela lies along the boundary of the Caribbean and South American tectonic plates.
Stress builds up along major fault lines before being released as powerful earthquakes.
While megaquakes remain possible, scientists say recent tremors in Japan and California are unrelated to Venezuela's quake.
NEET Row: Dharmendra Pradhan Accuses Rahul Gandhi of Misleading Aspirants
Venezuela sits on one of South America's most active tectonic boundaries, where constant movement between major plates makes powerful earthquakes a recurring threat.
Summary
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has accused Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi of misleading medical entrance candidates and creating fear, according to PTI. The opposition recently demanded Pradhan's resignation over the alleged National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) paper leak.
"Rahul Gandhi misled the NEET aspirants. Don’t mislead and put fear in the minds of the new generation. We all have a responsibility towards them," Pradhan told CNN-News18.
Gandhi and opposition members are actively "creating fear in the mind of the youth," Pradhan said.
Congress Rallies Criticized
Politics disrupted student schedules. Pradhan condemned opposition campaigns held immediately before the test.
“I don’t want to indulge in politics when the matter concerns the future of the students, but the opposition’s decision to hold a rally in Kota just days before the examination was not appropriate," he told CNN-News18.
Three students in Karnataka missed their NEET test due to a political gathering led by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in Bengaluru. “Three students could not reach their NEET examination because of Kharge’s rally. He later apologised to them. How can the Congress lecture us on this issue?" Pradhan asked.
Protectors Turned Predators
The minister acknowledged internal failures. Pradhan spoke to NDTV earlier in the week regarding the paper leak controversy.
He said that exam centre staff assigned by the National Testing Agency failed to execute their duties correctly.
“NTA had placed its trust in certain teachers, but some of them did not fulfil their responsibility. Rakshak hi bhakshak ban gaye (the protectors themselves turned predators),” Pradhan told NDTV.
Dismissing Cockroach Party
Pradhan attacked newly formed youth groups. The minister dismissed the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) as "Rahul Gandhi's B-team."
Abhijeet Dipke established the satirical, youth-led movement on May 16. The launch followed a comment by the Chief Justice of India referring to unemployed youth as "cockroaches". Dipke leads the party alongside spokespersons Saurav Das, Vijeta Dahiya, and Ashutosh Ranka.
The organisation demands Pradhan's immediate resignation over the exam irregularities. The group also pushes a five-point reformist agenda focused on corruption, defection laws, media monopolies, and parliamentary representation for women.
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