New Delhi, July 2026 : The ongoing political confrontation over the alleged NEET examination paper leak and other examination irregularities intensified on Thursday as Opposition Members of Parliament staged a protest at Makar Dwar within the Parliament complex, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and accusing the Centre of failing to restore students’ confidence in the country’s examination system.
The demonstration witnessed the participation of several senior Opposition leaders, including Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav, Congress General Secretary K.C. Venugopal, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and leaders from various INDIA bloc parties. Carrying placards and banners criticising the Education Minister, the MPs reiterated that accountability must begin with his resignation.
The protest took place even as leaders of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) organised a parallel demonstration at the same venue, accusing the Opposition of politicising an issue concerning students for electoral gains. The ruling alliance maintained that the government had already expressed its willingness to hold a detailed discussion in Parliament on examination-related irregularities and alleged that the Opposition was deliberately disrupting parliamentary proceedings despite the offer.
However, Opposition leaders remained steadfast, arguing that parliamentary debate alone would not address the concerns of students unless the government accepted responsibility and took visible action against those accountable.
The demonstrations also came shortly after Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on social media about the government’s decision to establish fast-track courts for speedy disposal of cases related to examination paper leaks. While the government projected the move as a major reform to strengthen the integrity of competitive examinations, Opposition leaders dismissed the announcement as inadequate.
Addressing reporters outside Parliament, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said the Prime Minister’s statement failed to address the central demand repeatedly raised by students protesting across the country.
Drawing an analogy, she said the government’s response was disconnected from the actual concerns of students.
“It is like a child telling his father that he wants to become a designer, but the father responds by saying that he has arranged admission in an engineering college. The child is asking for one thing, while you are offering something completely different,” she remarked.
Priyanka Gandhi said leadership required listening to the voices of students rather than making unrelated announcements. According to her, students have consistently demanded the resignation of the Education Minister and accountability for alleged lapses in the conduct of examinations.
She further argued that rebuilding public confidence requires more than promises of future reforms. Referring to reports of police action against protesting students, she questioned the government’s commitment to student welfare.
“When trust has been broken, concrete action is needed to restore it. The first step should be the resignation of the Education Minister. Students were beaten, and the next morning the Prime Minister tweeted about caring for students. If the government truly cared, why were students subjected to force?” she asked.
Congress General Secretary and MP K.C. Venugopal also criticised the Prime Minister’s social media post, saying that public confidence could not be restored through statements alone.
He alleged that the government’s credibility had suffered because no meaningful action had followed repeated incidents of examination paper leaks.
“Nobody believes these statements anymore because there has been no concrete action from the government. The first step should be to remove Dharmendra Pradhan from the Education Ministry. Only after that should the government begin a dialogue with students,” Venugopal said.
Congress MP Hibi Eden echoed similar concerns and claimed that repeated examination paper leak incidents had exposed systemic weaknesses in the country’s recruitment and examination processes.
He recalled that he had raised the issue in Parliament two years ago, alleging that dozens of paper leak cases had already occurred at the time.
“I raised this issue in Parliament on July 22, 2024. Even then, there had already been more than 70 paper leaks. Today, the number has crossed 100. Yet there has been no comprehensive inquiry. We urgently demand the removal of the Education Minister,” Eden said.
Congress MP Selja Kumari also questioned the government’s response, arguing that announcements without implementation were insufficient to reassure students and their families.
“There has only been a tweet. There has been no action. People no longer want promises about what will happen in the future—they want to know what action has been taken now. There has been no resignation, no expression of regret over the reported lathi-charge on students and no response to the issues raised by Rahul Gandhi,” she said.
Meanwhile, the ruling NDA defended the government’s handling of the issue, reiterating that it had agreed to a comprehensive debate in Parliament. Government leaders accused the Opposition of refusing constructive discussion while attempting to exploit the controversy for political advantage.
The BJP has consistently maintained that the Centre is committed to protecting students’ interests and ensuring strict action against those responsible for examination irregularities. Senior ministers have also asserted that examination reforms, including stronger anti-paper leak mechanisms and legal safeguards, are being pursued to strengthen the credibility of India’s competitive examination system.
The Opposition, however, continues to insist that institutional reforms alone are insufficient without political accountability. It argues that the resignation of the Education Minister would demonstrate the government’s commitment to accepting responsibility and rebuilding trust among students.
With protests continuing both inside and outside Parliament and student organisations intensifying demonstrations across several states, the NEET paper leak controversy has emerged as one of the most contentious political issues of the ongoing Monsoon Session. As both the government and the Opposition remain firm in their respective positions, the debate over examination reforms and accountability is expected to dominate parliamentary proceedings in the coming days.
Team Maverick.
