Congress Launches 40-Day Nationwide Campaign Against Exam Paper Leaks, Demands Education Reforms

June 2026 : Congress MP Varsha Gaikwad on Thursday announced a nationwide 40-day campaign against alleged examination paper leaks and irregularities, accusing the NDA government of failing to safeguard the interests of students and protect the integrity of India’s education system.

Addressing a press conference at the Institute of Agricultural Technology on Queens Road in Bengaluru, Gaikwad said the campaign would be conducted from June 25 to August 9 across 28 states and 28 major cities. The initiative comes in the wake of growing concerns over alleged paper leaks in competitive examinations, including NEET, and follows Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s recent outreach on student-related issues.

Gaikwad asserted that the campaign was aimed at highlighting what she described as a systemic crisis in the country’s examination framework rather than focusing solely on isolated incidents of paper leaks.

“It is not the students who are failing; it is the Education Ministry and the NDA government that are failing. Their inability to ensure a fair and transparent examination process has placed lakhs of students under tremendous stress and uncertainty,” she said.

The Congress leader alleged that recurring examination irregularities, paper leaks and corruption had severely eroded students’ trust in the system. She said party workers, members of the Youth Congress and the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) would engage directly with students during the campaign, distribute informational material and gather feedback on the challenges faced by aspirants across the country.

According to Gaikwad, the findings and concerns collected during the campaign would be presented before the Union Education Ministry and the Prime Minister, with the party pressing for comprehensive reforms in the examination process.

As part of the nationwide programme, Congress plans to organise a Students’ Yatra on August 1, followed by a ‘Chalo Delhi’ march and a major protest in the national capital on August 9. She said the party would also raise the issue in Parliament during the upcoming session to ensure that students’ voices are heard at the highest level.

Gaikwad outlined three key demands of the campaign: the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, strict action against officials allegedly responsible for examination irregularities, and a complete overhaul of the examination system. She stressed the need for reforms at every stage, including question paper preparation, printing, transportation, security and conduct of examinations.

Referring to reports of paper leaks over the years, she claimed that nearly 89 examinations had been affected during the past decade, leading to cancellations, re-examinations and uncertainty for millions of candidates. She also alleged that several recruitment examinations across different states had been cancelled due to irregularities, affecting job aspirants.

State Youth Congress President Manjunath Gowda echoed these concerns, stating that repeated paper leaks were causing immense mental stress to students and their families. He criticised the Centre and alleged that the National Testing Agency (NTA) had become embroiled in controversies over examination management and accountability.

Gowda announced that consultations involving political parties and student organisations would be held to build a broader movement against examination malpractices. He added that awareness drives would be conducted in colleges and universities across Karnataka as part of the campaign.

The press conference was attended by Congress Media and Communications Department Chairman Ramesh Babu, NSUI State Vice-President Jayendra Shahi, Youth Congress Legal Cell President Sridhar Jadhav and other party leaders.