Karnataka Congress President B.K. Hariprasad on Sunday, 19 July launched a sharp attack on the BJP-led Union government over alleged examination paper leaks across India, demanding an independent national probe supervised by a retired Supreme Court judge. Speaking at a press conference in Bengaluru, Hariprasad accused the Centre of shielding those responsible and said the leaks were jeopardising the futures of millions of students.

The 152-Leak Claim

Citing remarks by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi from his recent 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' (Voice of Students) programme held in Kota, Rajasthan, Hariprasad alleged that 152 examination papers had been leaked across India between 2014 and 2026. He claimed a majority of these incidents took place in states governed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and questioned who had benefited from the leaks.

Hariprasad further alleged that in states including Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat, police had recovered leaked question papers from individuals linked to families of BJP leaders. He did not, however, furnish specific evidence to support these claims at the press conference.

What Hariprasad Said

'Question paper leaks are not merely about examinations. They have become a matter of concern for the credibility of India's entire education system. Students and their families invest years of effort, sacrifice, and financial resources. When examination papers are leaked, it destroys their aspirations,' Hariprasad said.

He also invoked constitutional guarantees, stating: 'Education is a fundamental right guaranteed by the Constitution. The repeated paper leaks represent a direct attack on the future of India's children and the credibility of our educational institutions.'

Questions Posed to the Modi Government

Hariprasad directed a series of pointed questions at the Narendra Modi-led government: how many examination papers had been leaked over the past decade, whether all 152 alleged cases had been investigated, how many individuals had been convicted, and why such incidents continued to recur. He did not receive an immediate response from the Centre or BJP representatives at the event.

This comes amid a broader national conversation about examination integrity, following high-profile controversies over competitive entrance tests in recent years that drew widespread student protests and judicial scrutiny.

Karnataka PSI Scam Parallel

Drawing a comparison with the Karnataka PSI recruitment examination scam, Hariprasad noted that cases had previously been registered against him for protesting those irregularities. He said courts had recently quashed those cases — a development he cited as vindication of his stance on examination fraud.

Context and What Comes Next

Hariprasad highlighted India's expanded literacy rate and higher education infrastructure since Independence, pointing to institutions such as the IITs, IIMs, IISc, and AIIMS as symbols of the country's investment in education — all of which, he argued, are undermined by systemic paper leaks. The Congress is expected to escalate its campaign on the issue nationally, with Rahul Gandhi's Kota programme signalling a sustained political focus on student welfare ahead of upcoming state elections.