Kerala Opposition Leader Pinarayi Vijayan Allegations on NEET Irregularities

On Thursday, July 23, 2026, Kerala's Leader of the Opposition, Pinarayi Vijayan, levelled serious allegations regarding the NEET-UG examination. Speaking at a 'Charter of Rights' march organised by the Students' Federation of India (SFI) in Thiruvananthapuram, Mr. Vijayan claimed that the examination had been undermined by “large-scale fraud, deception and criminality,” affecting more than 25 lakh students.

Mr. Vijayan demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, asserting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi could not evade responsibility for the alleged irregularities. He attributed the purported question paper leak to a “mafia” and alleged that those responsible were being protected. Specifically, he named a Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha leader named Dinesh as the head of the network, accusing authorities of shielding him.

“The Prime Minister is unwilling even to name the person who led this massive fraud. The government’s reluctance to identify the kingpin reflected an attempt to protect those behind the fraud,” Mr. Vijayan claimed. He also accused a section of the media of not publicising the accused's identity.

Drawing a parallel with the 1990s securities scam, Mr. Vijayan noted that Harshad Mehta's name became widely known, but the suspected mastermind of the NEET scam remained largely unknown due to official protection. He further alleged that serious criminal charges had not been invoked against those involved.

Mr. Vijayan also criticised the police action against students protesting in New Delhi over the alleged NEET irregularities, claiming that the police excesses were carried out at the behest of the Union government. He said around 70 students, including nearly 40 SFI activists, had been hospitalised following clashes, with one girl in the intensive care unit with life-threatening injuries allegedly caused by police assault.

He asserted that the movement had gathered momentum despite the police action, with large numbers of students and youth converging on the national capital. The SFI, he said, had been playing an active role in the protest. He also criticised the National Students' Union of India (NSUI) for not participating and alleged that the Kerala Students' Union (KSU) had not even issued a statement on the issue.

It is important to note that these are allegations made by a political leader. The Union government has not yet officially responded to these specific claims. The NEET-UG examination is conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA), and any irregularities are subject to investigation by appropriate authorities.