3 min readJalandharJul 1, 2026 03:27 AM IST
All India Congress Committee (AICC) secretary and former Punjab education minister Pargat Singh on Tuesday demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, alleging that “repeated paper leaks” and “examination irregularities” severely undermined the credibility of India’s national testing system.
Citing media reports, Singh said India has witnessed 89 suspected paper leak cases over the past decade, affecting nearly 6.2 crore students. “As many as 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.”
Addressing a press conference in Hoshiarpur, Singh said, “The National Testing Agency (NTA) failed to ensure the integrity of key national examinations, resulting in the leakage, cancellation and postponement of several tests, including NEET-UG and UGC-NET.”
Calling for accountability, Singh urged the Centre to initiate an investigation into the alleged nexus between the paper leak mafia and those responsible for conducting examinations. He also sought comprehensive reforms to strengthen the examination system and prevent future breaches.
Among his key demands, Singh called for the introduction of a fixed annual calendar for NEET-UG, UGC-NET and major recruitment examinations. “Examination schedules should be announced well in advance and accompanied by clearly defined timelines for recruitment and appointments to reduce uncertainty for students and job aspirants,” he said.
Highlighting the financial burden borne by families, Singh claimed, “More than 22 lakh families spend approximately Rs 1.32 lakh crore annually on NEET preparation alone. The amount is nearly equivalent to India’s annual education budget of around Rs 1.40 lakh crore, reflecting the enormous investment made by students and parents in pursuit of educational opportunities.”
“The aspirations of millions of young Indians cannot be held hostage to an unreliable examination system. Recurring irregularities have eroded public confidence in competitive examinations,’ he said.
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Referring to employment concerns, the Congress leader said, “Competitive examinations are often projected as pathways to stable careers, but opportunities remain limited. Only a small proportion of candidates eventually secure permanent salaried jobs.” He expressed concern over the employment prospects of technical graduates.
The Congress leader said the party would continue to raise concerns of students and youth across the country. “Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and the Congress remain committed to ensuring transparency, accountability and fairness in the education and recruitment systems. The future of our youth must be protected. The Congress stands firmly with students and parents and will continue to fight for justice and systemic reform,” he added.
