Jairam Ramesh accused PM Modi and Dharmendra Pradhan of a cover-up in the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak, alleging collusion with the ‘paper leak mafia’. He slammed the NTA’s claim that the paper was not fully leaked, calling for accountability.
Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Friday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan must be held accountable for the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak and its “ongoing cover-up”. He alleged that the central government and its “ecosystem” have been attempting to suppress evidence of widespread irregularities in examinations conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA). Ramesh further accused the Narendra Modi government of “colluding” with the paper leak mafia to “suppress the truth”.
His remarks came after reported comments by NTA Director General Abhishek Singh, where he informed the Parliamentary Standing Committee that the NEET-UG 2026 paper was not leaked in full, and that only certain questions had surfaced prior to the examination.
Congress Slams NTA’s ‘No Full Leak’ Claim
“Since the NTA was formed in 2018, the Modi Government and its ecosystem have been colluding with the paper leak mafia to suppress the truth of rampant irregularities and fraud in NTA-conducted exams,” Ramesh said in a post on X. He further questioned the NTA’s claim that there was no full paper leak, arguing that the circulation of a “guess paper” containing questions that appeared in the exam itself amounted to a leak.
“Today we have learnt from media reports that the NTA Director General claimed yesterday to a Parliamentary Committee that the NEET-UG 2026 exam was not leaked. If true, this is scandalous and shockingly dishonest – because it is clear that a ‘guess paper’ which featured dozens of questions that appeared in the actual exam was circulating among students much before the exam date. If that is not a leak, what is? Why is the Modi Government trying to deny it now?” he asked.
Allegations of Repeated Failures and Cover-ups
Ramesh also accused the central government of failing to act on previous irregularities in NEET-UG 2024, claiming that similar “hotspots of fraud” had reappeared in the 2026 controversy. “The Modi Government had previously tried to cover up the widespread irregularities that had emerged in NEET-UG 2024 as well. If it had faced up to the truth and taken action then, the NEET 2026 tragedy may have been avoided. The same hotspots of reported fraud which emerged in 2024 – like Rajasthan’s Sikar – have been implicated in the 2026 scandal as well,” he said.
He further cited concerns over alleged inconsistencies in investigations into other NTA-conducted exams, including UGC-NET 2024, questioning the credibility of ongoing probes by central agencies. “In another episode of the same disturbing series, the CBI also filed a closure report alleging no irregularities in the UGC-NET exam of 2024 which had been cancelled by the NTA back then. When asked by a Delhi court to provide a written explanation for its closure report, the CBI has asked for more time. While the Court has thankfully pulled up the CBI for this delay, the CBI’s actions inspire no confidence in the agency’s motivation to do justice to its ongoing probes into NEET,” Ramesh further wrote.
‘National Trauma Agency’: Jairam Ramesh on NTA
Calling the NTA the “National Trauma Agency” for aspirants, the Congress leader alleged systemic failure across institutions under the Education Ministry. “For the lakhs of aspiring youth of our country, the NTA has become the National Trauma Agency. The CBSE, NCERT, and other institutions of the Education Ministry (including Central Universities) are no better,” he further wrote.
He further targeted Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, saying, “The Education Minister is presiding over a system in which professional excellence is at a discount and where ideological affinity commands a premium. Both the Pradhan Mantri and the Mantri Pradhan must be held accountable for this colossal tragedy and its ongoing cover-up.”
NTA’s Defense Before Parliamentary Panel
The remarks come amid escalating political tensions over the NEET-UG 2026 controversy, after NTA officials told the parliamentary panel that the paper was not leaked in full and that only certain questions had surfaced before the exam.
According to sources, NTA DG Abhishek Singh and Higher Education Secretary Vineet Joshi told the committee on Thursday that several recommendations aimed at making the NEET examination process leakproof had already been implemented, while work on remaining reforms was underway.
Sources said the agency maintained that the alleged leak did not originate from the NTA system and that the CBI was probing the circulation of leaked questions that led to the cancellation of the examination. The NTA also defended the cancellation decision as part of its “zero-tolerance” policy towards irregularities, arguing that even limited compromise of questions could undermine confidence in the examination process.
The Parliamentary panel also questioned officials on measures being taken to prevent similar incidents in the future and discussed the proposed transition of NEET-UG to a computer-based testing system from next year, including issues related to infrastructure, test duration and examination frequency.
NEET-UG 2026 Exam Background
Political tensions have intensified following the cancellation of the NEET-UG 2026 exam on May 12 after allegations of a coordinated paper leak. The exam, conducted on May 3 across 551 cities in India and 14 cities abroad, saw participation from over 22 lakh candidates. The re-examination is scheduled for June 21 under enhanced security measures mandated by the Union Education Ministry. (ANI)
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