Students, Youth Congress Protest NEET Scam

metro india news  I new delhi

Thousands of students and Indian Youth Congress (IYC) workers staged protests in Delhi and several other cities against the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, dissolution of the National Testing Agency (NTA), and a judicial probe into the controversy.

In Delhi, protesters marched from Teen Murti Circle toward the Education Minister’s residence amid heavy police deployment and barricading. Demonstrators carried placards reading “Save Our Future, Sack Pradhan” and “NTA = National Tampering Agency,” while accusing the Centre of failing to protect the future of students.

“This is not just an exam scam but a betrayal of over 22 lakh aspirants,” an IYC leader said, alleging repeated failures in national examinations, including NEET and UGC-NET.

The controversy erupted after the May 3 NEET-UG 2026 examination faced allegations of question paper leaks. A “guess paper” allegedly matching the actual exam circulated through coaching centres and social media platforms before the test. 

Following public outrage, the NTA cancelled the exam on May 12-13 and announced a re-test. The CBI has registered an FIR and arrested several people in states including Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Delhi. Investigators suspect a wider racket involving coaching centres, middlemen and officials. Reports claim lakhs of rupees were paid for leaked papers.

The issue has triggered anxiety among aspirants and parents, many of whom spent years preparing for the examination. Protesters also highlighted the mental stress and financial burden caused by the cancellation. Parallel demonstrations were held in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Mumbai and Bhubaneswar. In Bengaluru, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah joined the protest and criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for remaining silent on the issue. Congress leaders Randeep Singh Surjewala and Uday Bhanu Chib also participated.

The Union government has maintained that only some questions were compromised and said the CBI probe is ongoing.