NEET-UG 2026 Paper Leak: Rahul Gandhi Slams Modi Govt, Demands Dharmendra Pradhan's Resignation | VIDEO

NEET-UG 2026 Paper Leak: Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday intensified his attack on the Centre over the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak controversy, demanding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi remove Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan from his post.

In a video statement shared on social media, Rahul Gandhi accused the government of failing to protect the future of lakhs of students who appeared for the medical entrance examination this year.

‘22 Lakh students worked day and night’

Referring to NEET aspirants, Gandhi said nearly 22 lakh students had spent years preparing for the examination, and their hard work had been destroyed because of the alleged leak.

He claimed that the question paper had allegedly been circulated on WhatsApp two days before the examination, and alleged that the entire country was aware of it.

“Students worked day and night for two years. Their hard work has gone to waste,” Gandhi said in his statement.

Rahul Gandhi alleges that nexus is involved

The Congress MP also accused Dharmendra Pradhan of ignoring recommendations made by committees related to examination reforms and security measures.

According to Gandhi, the Education Minister allegedly dismissed concerns raised earlier and failed to take corrective action despite warnings.

In his remarks, Gandhi alleged that there existed a “nexus” involving individuals linked to the RSS, BJP and appointments within universities. He further claimed that educational institutions were being weakened because of politically motivated appointments.

He alleged that ideological alignment, rather than academic merit or experience, was increasingly becoming a factor in appointments to senior university positions such as Vice-Chancellors.

Demands Minister’s Removal

Rahul Gandhi demanded strict action against those responsible for the alleged leak and called on the Prime Minister to immediately remove Dharmendra Pradhan from the Union Cabinet.

“We demand that the Education Minister resign or be sacked, and those found guilty should be arrested and sent to jail,” he said.

The Congress leader also claimed that repeated paper leak incidents across the country had damaged the future of crores of young students and eroded trust in the examination system.

NEET re-exam details

Meanwhile, the National Testing Agency (NTA) has officially announced that the NEET UG 2026 re-examination will be conducted on Sunday, June 21, 2026, after the earlier examination held on May 3 was cancelled amid paper leak allegations.

The re-examination will be conducted both in India and abroad. The agency has clarified that no additional examination fee will be charged from candidates appearing for the re-test.

Fresh admit cards will be issued for the June 21 examination, and previously issued admit cards will not remain valid.

According to announcements made earlier by Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, fresh admit cards are expected to be released by June 14, 2026.

NTA has also announced that candidates appearing for the re-exam will be provided an additional 15 minutes specifically for filling the OMR answer sheet.

Published on: Saturday, May 16, 2026, 06:46 PM IST