New Delhi, July 24 -- The Union government has taken multiple steps over the past 24 hours, apparently to defuse the mounting anger over the NEET paper leak controversy, as students intensify their protests, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Amid these efforts, activist Sonam Wangchuk ended his hunger strike at Medanta Hospital in Gurugram in the presence of Union ministers.

While Prime Minister Narendra Modi made two announcements - one on X and another through a self-recorded video- the government appointed IAS officer Naresh Pal Gangwar as Secretary of the Department of Higher Education under the Ministry of Education, replacing incumbent officer Vineet Joshi.

The government set up a fast-trac...