Punjab Minister Faces Resignation Calls Amid National Exam Crisis

Political tensions escalated in Punjab and New Delhi on July 26, 2026, as opposition leaders demanded the resignation of Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains. The Shiromani Akali Dal, Congress, and BJP alleged multiple examination paper leaks in Punjab, including the Punjab Teacher Eligibility Test, Class 12 English exams, and a pharmacy officer recruitment test. Opponents, including Manjinder Singh Sirsa and Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, accused the Aam Aadmi Party of double standards for shielding Bains despite previous promises that ministers would resign over such failures.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann denied any paper leaks occurred during his administration's tenure, characterizing the pharmacy exam incident as a "cheating racket" involving pen cameras and Bluetooth devices. Mann shifted focus to national failures, calling the Union Government's handling of the NEET crisis "unpardonable" following the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on July 25. Pradhan's exit ended a 36-day agitation by the Cockroach Janta Party and sparked "victory marches" by the Congress party in Haryana.

In response to the national crisis, Prime Minister Narendra Modi appointed Prahlad Joshi as Education Minister and tasked Nandan Nilekani to lead a high-powered task force for leak-proof exams. Additionally, the Union Cabinet approved amendments to the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, to introduce steeper fines and longer prison sentences. While Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini supported these stricter penalties, Shiromani Akali Dal leader Daljit Singh Cheema argued for a federal approach, suggesting states should be empowered to conduct their own entrance exams with central technical support.