Is the Modi Government Failing India's Youth? Congress Raises Alarm Over Education System

Congress Criticizes Government's Handling of Education

New Delhi: On Saturday, the Congress party accused the government of undermining the aspirations of countless young people by mismanaging the education system. They claimed that the current administration is allowing subpar academics, allegedly selected by the RSS, to infiltrate educational institutions and is fostering widespread corruption.

This criticism followed the postponement of the CUET-UG 2026 admissions exam at several locations due to a technical issue.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh remarked, "Following the NEET and CBSE issues, the CUET situation shows the Modi government is scrambling to manage the fallout. The Education Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan, has been thoroughly discredited for his incompetence and arrogance."

Ramesh further stated, "The Prime Minister has remained silent and indifferent to the struggles of millions of students, despite claims of closely monitoring the situation."

He accused the government of merely engaging in public relations efforts rather than implementing real changes.

Ramesh criticized the use of the Indian armed forces to assist with NEET-UG logistics, suggesting it was more about appearances than genuine reform. He asserted that the recent NEET-UG paper leak was a result of issues at the level of paper-setters and translators, rather than during transportation.

He emphasized that the focus should be on addressing the corruption within the NTA's contractors and outsourced staff, many of whom are politically connected to the RSS.

Ramesh reiterated that the current administration's actions are damaging the hopes of youth across the nation, stating, "Their attempts at damage control are falling flat, as the responsibility for this chaos lies squarely with them."

The National Testing Agency (NTA) later confirmed that the CUET issues had been resolved and that the exam would proceed with additional time allocated to ensure no candidates were disadvantaged.

The NTA reported, "A technical glitch caused a delay in the CUET UG 2026 at some centres, but this has been rectified, and the exam is now being conducted with full compensatory time."

The CUET-UG serves as a standardized entrance exam for undergraduate programs across various universities in India.

Earlier, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accused Prime Minister Modi of having severely damaged the education system, claiming the government has failed to conduct any examination effectively while boasting of being a 'vishwaguru.'

Gandhi also criticized Modi's silence regarding the CBSE issues and his lack of action against the education minister, suggesting that the Prime Minister is more concerned with his political survival than the future of students.