Congress leaders on Tuesday, 12 May launched a sharp political offensive against the Centre after the NEET-UG 2026 examination was cancelled following allegations of a paper leak, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and calling the incident a symptom of a "corrupt system." The cancellation affects an estimated 25 lakh students who will now have to reappear for one of India's most competitive entrance examinations.

Congress Fires at the Centre

Congress MP Manickam Tagore alleged that repeated paper leaks had become routine under the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government, accusing the Centre of failing to protect students' futures. "NEET paper leak is becoming an ordinary thing now. Lakhs and lakhs of students spend hours and days preparing for the exam. Their fathers and mothers borrow money and send them to coaching centres. After all that, papers are leaked," Tagore said.

He further claimed that over the last 12 years, the government had made a "mockery" of the examination system and argued that appointing enquiry committees after each incident amounted to a "waste of time." "Those responsible should quit. Particularly, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan must take responsibility," he added.

Demand for Ministerial Accountability

Congress Rajya Sabha MP Pramod Tiwari echoed those concerns, questioning whether political leaders — including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Chief Minister of Rajasthan, where the leak reportedly originated — would accept ethical responsibility. "Will Prime Minister Modi and members of his Council of Ministers take responsibility based on ethics?" Tiwari asked.

Tiwari described the repeated leaks as "organised crime," arguing that with 25 lakh students affected, the ripple effect extended to more than one crore families — calculated on an average of five members per family. He said the issue had moved beyond administrative failure into a systemic breakdown.

Pattern of Leaks and Committee Fatigue

This is not the first time NEET has been engulfed in controversy. The NEET-UG 2024 paper leak triggered a nationwide uproar, led to Supreme Court scrutiny, and prompted the government to hand the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Critics argue that despite repeated CBI referrals and committee formations, structural reforms to the examination delivery mechanism have not materialised. Notably, the latest cancellation follows a similar playbook — allegations surface, the CBI is brought in, and the exam is rescheduled — without a credible long-term deterrent in place.

Impact on Students and Families

The NEET-UG examination is the sole gateway to undergraduate medical admissions across India, making its integrity critical for hundreds of thousands of aspirants each year. A cancellation at this stage means months of additional preparation time lost, financial strain on families who have invested in coaching, and heightened anxiety for students already under intense pressure. The Congress leaders argued that the human cost of these recurring failures is disproportionately borne by students from economically weaker backgrounds whose families stretch their resources to fund medical entrance preparation.

Government Yet to Respond

As of the time of reporting, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had not issued a formal response to the resignation demands. The CBI is reportedly already involved in investigating the paper leak. All eyes are now on whether the government will announce structural reforms to the examination delivery process — or whether this episode will follow the same cycle of inquiry, punishment of lower-level operatives, and systemic inaction that critics say has defined India's examination integrity crisis.