Congress Demands Education Minister's Resignation Over NEET Paper Leak

The Indian National Congress and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi are demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan following a coordinated paper leak in the NEET-UG 2026 examination. The original exam, held on May 3 and involving over 22 lakh candidates, was cancelled on May 12. The opposition accuses Prime Minister Narendra Modi of overseeing a cover-up and colluding with a "paper leak mafia," while protests by students and NSUI workers have broken out in Jaipur and Hyderabad.

During testimony before a Parliamentary Standing Committee on May 21 and 22, National Testing Agency (NTA) Director General Abhishek Singh claimed the leak did not originate from NTA systems and that the full paper was not leaked, only certain questions. This sparked further condemnation from Congress leaders Jairam Ramesh and Ashok Gehlot, who called the claims "dishonest" and "irresponsible." In response, BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi accused the Congress party of pursuing "anarchic politics."

To prevent future breaches, the NTA is implementing a "zero trust" policy, strengthening internal protocols, and planning a transition to computer-based testing. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is currently conducting a probe and has made several arrests. A re-examination is scheduled for June 21 under enhanced security. In Bihar, Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary has announced free government bus travel for candidates attending the re-test.