New Delhi, May 12: Following allegations of a paper leak, Congress leaders surrounded the central government on Tuesday, demanding accountability and resignation from Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan after the NEET UG 2026 examination was cancelled. They described the incident as a reflection of a “corrupt system.”
Congress MP Manickam Tagore, speaking to a news agency, accused the NDA government of making paper leaks a common occurrence. He criticized the central government for failing to safeguard students’ futures.
“Paper leaks have become a routine issue. Millions of students spend countless hours preparing for exams, while their parents borrow money to send them to coaching centers. After all this effort, the papers get leaked,” he stated.
Tagore claimed that over the past 12 years, the government has mocked the examination system and supported a compromised education framework. He targeted Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, noting that while committees are formed to investigate such incidents, no long-term solutions are implemented.
“Whenever NEET question papers are leaked, a committee is formed for investigation. This time, the case has been handed over to the CBI. This is a complete waste of time. Those responsible should resign, especially Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan,” he added.
He emphasized that the government cannot evade accountability.
Congress Rajya Sabha MP Pramod Tiwari also expressed concern about the impact of the examination cancellation on students and their families. He questioned, “The NEET exam has been cancelled, and nearly 2.5 million students will have to sit for the exam again. Whenever a question paper leaks, an investigation is conducted, and some culprits are punished, but what about the responsible leaders?”
He further asked whether the Chief Minister of Rajasthan would take responsibility for this incident and if Prime Minister Modi and his cabinet members would take moral responsibility.
Tiwari noted that this issue has affected millions of families across the country, labeling the paper leak as “organized crime.”
“If we consider an average of five members per family, 2.5 million students mean over 10 million families are affected. This has become an organized crime,” he stated.
Congress leaders questioned the political accountability of those in power following the cancellation of one of the country’s largest entrance examinations and demanded moral responsibility.
Trinamool Congress MP Sougata Roy remarked, “This is very unfortunate. The NEET exam is conducted nationwide for medical admissions. People trust the National Testing Agency or the National Medical Commission. Incidents like these will break that trust.”
AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi questioned the fate of students who worked hard for the exam and whose parents spent millions on coaching fees. “The BJP-led central government must be accountable to those students and parents,” he said.
Deependra Singh Chundawat is a Senior Sub-Editor at Udaipur Kiran, specializing in a wide range of technology topics including mobile phones, applications, gaming, PCs, and wearables. Along with covering the latest tech news, he also creates engaging web stories. Passionate about emerging technologies, he stays up to date with the newest trends and enjoys reading and writing about the latest mobile launches and digital innovations.
