ISLAMABAD: India’s opposition parties intensified pressure on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government on Sunday, demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak controversy that has affected nearly 2.3 million students.
The NEET-UG 2026 examination, one of India’s largest entrance tests for admission to undergraduate medical programmes including MBBS, BDS and other healthcare courses, was conducted on May 3 for nearly 2.3 million candidates but was cancelled on May 12 after the National Testing Agency confirmed that question papers had been leaked.
Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi criticized Modi for remaining silent on the issue while students continued protests across the country.
“When millions of youth are on the streets and the future of 22 lakh (2.2) children is at stake, the prime minister remains silent,” Gandhi said in a post on X, accusing the government of trying to evade responsibility instead of addressing the crisis.
He reiterated his demand for Pradhan’s resignation and called for a foolproof examination system to prevent future leaks.
The remarks came alongside a protest march organized in Hyderabad by the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), led by its president Vinod Jakhar, where demonstrators warned the government against what they described as “anti-youth policies.”
The opposition Indian National Congress also accused the government of failing to curb the “paper leak mafia,” saying the scandal had pushed the future of millions of students into uncertainty.
Separately, the NSUI described the leak as “an assault on the dreams of 22 lakh (2.2 million) students” and demanded strict action against those responsible.
Pradhan later acknowledged that questions had circulated as “guess papers” while defending the agency’s accountability and announcing a re-test.
The controversy has since triggered nationwide protests and calls for the prestigious medical entrance examination to be conducted by AIIMS-Delhi instead of the NTA.
