Congress Leader Calls for Accountability Over NEET-UG 2026 Exam Leak

In a recent statement, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has called for accountability from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over allegations of a leak in the NEET-UG 2026 exam papers. Ramesh accused the government of colluding with a paper leak mafia to suppress evidence of irregularities in exams conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA). He challenged the NTA's claims that the exam was not fully leaked and criticized the systemic failures within educational institutions. As political tensions rise, Ramesh's comments highlight the ongoing controversy surrounding the NEET-UG 2026 exam.

By Narendra Chaudhary May 22, 2026, 12:56 IST

Allegations Against the Government

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh stated on Friday that both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan should be held accountable for the alleged leak of the NEET-UG 2026 exam papers. He accused the central government of attempting to suppress evidence of widespread irregularities in examinations conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA).

Claims of a Cover-Up

Ramesh further alleged that the Modi administration is colluding with a paper leak mafia to conceal the truth. His remarks followed statements from NTA Director General Abhishek Singh, who informed a parliamentary committee that the NEET-UG 2026 exam paper was not fully leaked, but only a few questions had surfaced prior to the exam. Ramesh expressed on social media that since the establishment of the NTA in 2018, the Modi government has been complicit with the paper leak mafia to hide the realities of irregularities and fraud in exams conducted by the NTA.

Questioning NTA's Statements

He challenged the NTA's assertion that the entire exam was not leaked, arguing that the circulation of a predicted question paper containing actual exam questions is equivalent to a leak. Ramesh questioned the credibility of the NTA's claims, stating that media reports revealed the NTA chief's assertion that the NEET-UG 2026 exam was not leaked. If this is true, he argued, it is both shameful and dishonest, as it is evident that a 'predicted question paper' was circulated among students well before the exam date, including many questions that appeared in the actual test. He demanded to know why the Modi government is attempting to deny this.

Previous Irregularities and Systemic Failures

Ramesh also accused the central government of failing to take action regarding previous irregularities in the NEET-UG 2024 exam, claiming that similar fraudulent activities have resurfaced in the 2026 controversy. Referring to the NTA as a 'national trauma agency' for candidates, he criticized the systemic failures within institutions under the Ministry of Education. He stated that for millions of ambitious youth in the country, the NTA has become a source of national trauma, and other institutions like CBSE, NCERT, and various central universities are not performing any better.

Targeting the Education Minister

Focusing on Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Ramesh remarked that the minister presides over a system that neglects professional excellence in favor of ideological alignment. Both the Prime Minister and Minister Pradhan should be held responsible for this grave tragedy and the ongoing cover-up. These comments come amid rising political tensions surrounding the NEET-UG 2026 controversy, as NTA officials informed the parliamentary committee that the exam paper was not fully leaked and only a few questions had emerged before the exam.

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