Agartala, May 13:
The cancellation of the NEET-UG 2026 examination following a nationwide question paper leak has triggered sharp political reactions across the country, with the Indian Youth Congress in Tripura strongly criticising the Central government over the issue.
Addressing a press conference at the Pradesh Congress Bhavan in Agartala on Wednesday, Tripura Youth Congress president Nil Kamal Saha described the incident as a “dark chapter in India’s education system” and alleged that the paper leak had shattered the dreams and morale of lakhs of students preparing for medical entrance examinations.
Saha claimed that the controversy exposed serious lapses and corruption within the country’s examination system and accused the Centre of repeatedly failing to prevent examination leaks despite earlier incidents reported in different competitive exams.
He further alleged that the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 had gradually tilted higher education in favour of financially privileged sections, leaving economically weaker students at a disadvantage. According to him, repeated irregularities in examinations have increased anxiety among students and parents while weakening trust in public institutions.
The Youth Congress demanded immediate accountability in the matter, including the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The organisation also called for the dissolution of the National Testing Agency (NTA) and demanded that responsibility for conducting major examinations be handed back to the states.
The organisation further sought a Supreme Court-monitored investigation into the paper leak case to identify those responsible and expose any alleged political links behind the scandal. It also demanded that fresh examinations be conducted transparently without imposing additional financial or psychological burdens on students.
Saha said many students from economically weaker families had taken loans or mortgaged assets for coaching and preparation, and therefore deserved compensation from the government.
Calling the NEET-UG controversy a major example of systemic failure, the Youth Congress announced that it would join nationwide protests against alleged commercialization of education and repeated examination irregularities.
The incident has sparked protests in several parts of the country, with students, parents, and political organisations demanding reforms and stricter safeguards to restore confidence in the examination system.
