Education – Congress Plans Jaipur Protest Over Alleged NEET-2026 Leak Controversy
Education – The Rajasthan Congress has announced a large-scale protest in Jaipur over the alleged NEET-2026 paper leak case, accusing the Centre and the National Testing Agency of failing to prevent repeated examination irregularities. The demonstration is scheduled for May 21 and will target the BJP state headquarters in the Rajasthan capital.
Congress Announces Protest Programme
The Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee said party workers, led by state president Govind Singh Dotasra, will organise a march and gherao outside the BJP State Headquarters in Jaipur. According to party leaders, the protest is aimed at raising concerns over the alleged leak of the NEET-2026 examination paper and demanding accountability from the authorities involved in conducting the exam.
The march is expected to begin at 10 a.m. from the State Congress Headquarters and proceed through Shaheed Smarak before reaching the BJP office around 11 a.m., where demonstrators are expected to stage a protest gathering.
Demand for Action Against NTA
Congress leaders have demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and called for the dissolution of the National Testing Agency, which conducts several national-level entrance examinations, including NEET.
Addressing reporters on Monday, Rajasthan Congress General Secretary and Media Chairperson Swarnim Chaturvedi alleged that repeated examination leaks had severely affected the future of students across the country. He stated that millions of aspirants preparing for competitive examinations were losing confidence in the system due to recurring controversies.
According to Chaturvedi, investigations into the alleged NEET-2026 paper leak had reportedly pointed toward the involvement of certain BJP-linked individuals. However, no official confirmation regarding these allegations has been released by investigating agencies so far.
Questions Raised Over Previous Exam Leaks
The Congress also referred to earlier controversies linked to national entrance examinations. Party leaders claimed that the individuals accused in the current case had allegedly been connected to earlier NEET paper leak incidents as well.
Chaturvedi alleged that the NEET-2025 examination paper had also been leaked and claimed that irregularities had surfaced during the NEET-2024 examination process. He accused the Central Government of failing to take strict measures despite repeated complaints surrounding examination security.
The opposition party argued that several recruitment and entrance examinations conducted in recent years had faced cancellation or scrutiny because of paper leak allegations, creating uncertainty among students and their families.
Allegations Against Rajasthan Government
Apart from targeting the Central Government and the NTA, the Congress also criticised the Rajasthan administration over its handling of the issue. Party representatives alleged that despite receiving information related to the alleged paper leak, prompt action was not taken by the state authorities.
The Congress further claimed that police officials delayed the registration of a First Information Report in connection with the matter. The Rajasthan Government has not yet publicly responded to these allegations.
Student Concerns Continue to Grow
The controversy surrounding examination leaks has once again brought attention to the challenges faced by students preparing for highly competitive entrance tests. NEET remains one of the most important medical entrance examinations in India, attracting lakhs of candidates every year.
Education experts and student groups have repeatedly called for stronger security measures, transparent investigation mechanisms, and stricter punishment for those involved in exam-related fraud. Concerns over fairness and credibility in competitive examinations continue to dominate public discussions whenever such allegations emerge.
With the protest planned in Jaipur later this week, political attention is expected to remain focused on the issue as opposition parties continue to press for action and accountability.