Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday intensified his attack on the central government over the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak controversy, demanding the immediate removal of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Taking to social media platform X, Gandhi stated, "Twenty-two lakh NEET students have been cheated. Yet Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not uttering a single word. Remove Dharmendra Pradhan now, or take responsibility yourself." He added, "Modi ji, sack Dharmendra Pradhan now."
NEET-UG 2026 Cancellation and Investigation
The National Testing Agency (NTA) on Tuesday cancelled the NEET-UG 2026 examination, which was held on May 3, after investigators found evidence that several questions similar to those in the exam paper had been circulated before the test. The government later handed over the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and the examination will now be re-conducted on June 21. The cancellation has affected nearly 23 lakh aspirants and marks the first time the entire NEET-UG examination has been scrapped since the NTA took over conducting the test in 2019. In 2024, the exam was partially re-conducted for 1,563 students following discrepancies in marks.
CBI Arrests Another Accused
Meanwhile, the CBI on Saturday arrested another alleged mastermind in the case. The accused, identified as Manisha Gurunath Mandhare, is a senior Botany teacher from Pune, Maharashtra. According to the agency, Mandhare was arrested in Delhi after questioning. Investigators alleged that she was the source of leaked Biology questions in the medical entrance examination. The CBI stated that Mandhare was associated with the NEET-UG 2026 examination process and had been appointed by the NTA as an expert, which gave her access to Botany and Zoology question papers.
Rahul Gandhi's Remarks on Student Suicides
On Friday, Rahul Gandhi questioned the government over the rising number of suicides linked to the NEET paper leak. Referring to the death of a 21-year-old student in Uttar Pradesh who allegedly died by suicide after the exam cancellation, he said, "These youngsters did not lose to the exams; they were killed by a corrupt system. This is not suicide—it is murder by the system."
