Congress To Launch Nationwide Campaign From June 30 To Demand Pradhans Resignation Over Neet Row

Ahmedabad: Opposition Congress on Thursday announced a nationwide campaign from June 30 to demand Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation over the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak, and also to seek a comprehensive overhaul of the country's examination system.The first phase of this 40-day campaign titled 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' (Voice of Students) will culminate with a Delhi Chalo protest march on August 9, a party leader said.Addressing a press conference here, Congress leader Satej Patil alleged that repeated examination irregularities had created a massive trust deficit among students and jeopardised the future of lakhs of aspirants.Patil, a legislator from Maharashtra, said nearly 23 lakh students appeared for NEET after years of preparation, but only around two lakh would eventually secure admission to medical, dental, AYUSH and allied courses. They talk about running a country of 130 crore people, but they cannot even conduct an examination properly for 23 lakh students. It is such a tedious exam, and they are failing to conduct it properly, the former Maharashtra minister said.He said the issue was not just limited to paper leaks or re-examination, and had severely eroded the faith of students in the system. The confidence students had that they would get marks based on what they studied is gone. That trust has been shattered. This is a massive trust deficit among the youth of the entire country, he said.The party announced the nationwide outreach campaign covering 28 cities, targeting students, job aspirants, coaching hubs, college campuses and libraries.Under the programme, Congress leaders will conduct leaflet distribution drives, street-corner meetings and campus outreach activities beginning June 30.Patil alleged that paper leaks had become a recurring phenomenon and accused the government of failing to hold the masterminds accountable.Referring to the NEET controversy, he claimed that while middlemen were arrested in previous cases, the larger network behind examination scams remained untouched.The Congress also demanded an inquiry into the functioning of the National Testing Agency (NTA), examination processes, paper-setting mechanisms, printing and transportation systems, digital infrastructure and vendor contracts.Patil further alleged the existence of a nexus involving coaching institutes and examination leak networks. Where did the leaked paper come from? Who got it first? This points to a nexus. News of a paper leak breaks and the very next day advertisements appear asking students to rejoin classes in case of a re-exam. This nexus between coaching classes and the system needs to be broken, he said.The Congress leader demanded that Pradhan accept responsibility for the alleged failures and step down from office.The party also called for a fixed annual examination and recruitment calendar, with pre-announced dates for exams, results and appointments.As part of the campaign, Congress will organise demonstrations outside district collector offices in the 28 cities on August 1 and conclude the first phase with a Delhi Chalo march on August 9.Replying to a question on student suicides, Patil said Congress would consider suggestions for creating counselling mechanisms to support students and help restore their confidence.He said the immediate objective of the campaign was to reassure students that their concerns were being heard and to press the government to address systemic shortcomings in the examination process.