‘Student’s Future in Darkness’: Congress Targets Centre Over NEET Paper Leak Concerns

Karnataka Congress president B K Hariprasad on Sunday accused the BJP-led Central government of damaging the credibility of India’s education system through repeated question paper leak cases and demanded a Supreme Court-monitored investigation into all such incidents.

Addressing a press conference, Hariprasad alleged that the future of nearly 23 lakh NEET aspirants had been thrown into uncertainty due to examination irregularities. He said the Congress would continue its protests in Karnataka and Parliament until the Centre provided answers on investigations, prosecutions and action taken against those responsible.

The Congress leader said students across the country were experiencing anxiety due to what he described as a loss of trust in the examination system. He announced that Rahul Gandhi’s “Chhatron Ki Goonj” (Voice of Students) campaign would be expanded across Karnataka to address students’ concerns and rebuild confidence.

Hariprasad said the campaign was launched by Rahul Gandhi in Kota, Rajasthan , following a series of student suicides, with the aim of listening to students’ problems and supporting them. He added that the Karnataka Congress had requested Gandhi to visit the state and interact with students.Alleging that 152 question paper leaks occurred between 2014 and 2026 , Hariprasad questioned the Centre over the status of investigations and convictions in these cases. He demanded an independent national inquiry headed by a retired Supreme Court judge , arguing that there should be no political interference and that those involved should face strict punishment.

The Karnataka Congress chief also demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan , alleging that the ministry had failed to address students’ concerns amid what he termed a “collapse” of the education system.

On the NEET issue, Hariprasad accused the BJP government of lacking seriousness towards students’ futures and said the uncertainty surrounding examination integrity had affected millions of aspirants.He also criticised the BJP over allegations related to the Ayodhya Ram Temple donation controversy , claiming that no action had been taken over alleged financial irregularities. The BJP has not accepted the allegations made by the Congress.