New Delhi (PNI News): A growing chorus of eminent academics, former civil servants, activists, and student organizations has intensified calls for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. They hold him morally accountable for paper leaks and irregularities in the NEET-UG 2026 and UGC-NET examinations. Open letters and public petitions decry the “systemic collapse” of India’s testing bodies and its impact on millions of aspirants.
The NEET-UG exam on May 3 for over 23 lakh students was cancelled after confirmed leaks. CBI investigations implicated NTA insiders, including subject experts and translators, who allegedly sold question papers. The June 21 re-exam occurred under tight security, yet student suicides linked to stress and uncertainty have exceeded a dozen.
Allegations soon emerged for UGC-NET in late June, with claims of a circulated 100-page PDF matching nearly 90 questions, undermining computer-based testing assurances. While political voices amplify the issue, civil society leads the charge.
Seventy-three former civil servants from the Constitutional Conduct Group, in an open letter, voiced “deep anguish” over repeated failures. “These collapses have shattered dreams and eroded trust,” they stated, demanding Pradhan’s resignation or removal. They urged a judicial review of the NTA and stronger protocols.
SFI has echoed calls, branding NTA a “torturing agency” and seeking its dissolution plus the minister’s exit. CJP protests at Jantar Mantar, led by Abhijeet Dipke with Sonam Wangchuk’s hunger strike, draw academics, artists, and intellectuals. Petitions note nearly 90 leaks in a decade ruining futures.
Pradhan acknowledged “protectors turned predators” and took responsibility for suicides, but critics insist resignation is essential. The government promises CBT shifts and probes, yet demands persist for a fixed calendar, systemic overhaul, and victim compensation.