Pargat Singh Demands Pradhan's Ouster Over NEET Paper Leak Allegations

Congress leader and former Punjab education minister Pargat Singh on Tuesday called for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, citing what he described as repeated paper leaks and examination irregularities that have undermined the credibility of India's national testing system.

Speaking at a press conference in Hoshiarpur, Singh pointed to media reports indicating that India has witnessed 89 suspected paper leak cases over the past decade, affecting nearly 6.2 crore students. According to these reports, 48 examinations were reconducted, and 22 were cancelled before being held. Since 2019, at least 64 major examinations across 19 states faced paper leak allegations, including 45 government recruitment tests, with several being cancelled or postponed.

Singh specifically criticised the National Testing Agency (NTA), stating that it had failed to ensure the integrity of key national examinations, leading to the leakage, cancellation, and postponement of tests such as NEET-UG and UGC-NET. He argued that the repeated incidents call into question the management of the examination system and demanded accountability from the minister responsible.

The demand comes amid ongoing concerns over the security and fairness of high-stakes exams that determine admissions to medical, engineering, and other professional courses, as well as recruitment to government jobs. The NEET-UG row, in particular, has sparked widespread debate, with students and opposition parties alleging systemic failures.

Singh's remarks reflect a broader political scrutiny of the government's handling of education policy. The Congress party has consistently raised the issue in Parliament and through public appeals. The demand for a fixed exam calendar, as mentioned by Singh, aims to bring predictability and transparency to the examination process.

As of now, the Ministry of Education has not officially responded to the demand for resignation. The NTA has faced criticism from various quarters, and the government has previously announced reviews and measures to strengthen exam security. However, opposition parties maintain that more decisive action, including leadership changes, is necessary to restore public trust.