Rahul Gandhi Criticizes Government Over NEET-UG Exam Paper Leak
Rahul Gandhi's Strong Condemnation of NEET-UG Exam Paper Leak
On Saturday, senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi expressed his strong disapproval of the government's handling of the NEET-UG exam, which was canceled due to a paper leak. He called for the immediate dismissal of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of remaining silent on the issue. In a video message shared on the microblogging platform X, Gandhi stated that the NEET paper was leaked just two days before the exam via WhatsApp, emphasizing that the Education Minister has harmed the foundation of education in India.
Allegations Against BJP and RSS
As the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Gandhi further alleged that there is a collusion between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its ideological mentor, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), aimed at profiting from India's education system and universities. He claimed that this alliance has devastated the entire educational framework, leading to at least 80 instances of leaked research papers in the country. Gandhi insisted that the Prime Minister should act swiftly to remove Dharmendra Pradhan and imprison those involved.
CBI Arrests Key Suspect in Paper Leak
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested Manisha Gurunath Mandhare, a senior botany teacher from Pune, identifying her as a key conspirator in the paper leak. According to the CBI, Mandhare was the mastermind behind the leak of the biology question paper. She had been appointed as an expert for the NEET-UG 2026 examination process by the National Testing Agency (NTA), which granted her full access to the botany and zoology question papers. Investigations revealed that during April 2026, she connected several NEET candidates through Manisha Waghmare, who had already been arrested on May 14.
Details of the Investigation
During these sessions, Mandhare explained various questions related to botany and zoology, instructing students to write them in their notebooks and mark them in textbooks. Most of these questions matched those from the actual NEET UG 2026 exam held on May 3. In the past 24 hours, the CBI has conducted searches at six locations across the country, seizing numerous incriminating documents, laptops, bank statements, and mobile phones.