Congress Launches Nationwide Campaign Demanding Education Minister's Resignation Over NEET-UG Row
Congress has announced a 40-day nationwide campaign, 'Chhatron Ki Goonj', beginning June 30 to demand the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The move follows allegations of irregularities in the NEET-UG 2026 exam, with the party seeking a systemic overhaul of the NTA.
Highlights
- •Congress to launch a 40-day nationwide campaign starting June 30 over NEET-UG 2026 paper leak allegations.
- •The 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' campaign demands the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
- •Protests will span 28 cities, culminating in a 'Delhi Chalo' march scheduled for August 9.
- •Congress calls for a complete overhaul of the National Testing Agency (NTA) and its examination processes.
The opposition Congress party has announced a significant, nationwide campaign starting from June 30 to demand the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. This protest movement is a direct response to the controversies surrounding the NEET-UG 2026 examination, where allegations of paper leaks have raised serious concerns regarding the integrity of the country's testing processes.
Chhatron Ki Goonj: Addressing Student Concerns
Termed 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' (Voice of Students), the initiative is a 40-day outreach program designed to highlight the systemic failures affecting millions of aspirants. Satej Patil, a prominent Congress leader and legislator from Maharashtra, spearheaded the announcement during a press conference in Ahmedabad. He emphasized that recurring examination irregularities have severely damaged the confidence that youth place in the national educational framework.
Patil pointed out that approximately 23 lakh students sat for the NEET exam this year, competing for a limited number of seats across medical, dental, and allied courses. The party argues that the persistent failure to conduct such vital exams without incidents reflects a deeper, more concerning issue within the National Testing Agency (NTA). The Congress leadership is now demanding a complete, comprehensive overhaul of examination systems, including paper-setting protocols, digital security measures, and vendor management.
Calls for Accountability and Reform
A core demand of the campaign is the immediate resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan, as the party holds the government responsible for the widespread trust deficit. Patil alleged that the current system protects the true masterminds behind these leaks, while only low-level middlemen face consequences. He specifically highlighted a suspected nexus between certain coaching institutes and examination leak networks, noting that in many cases, advertisements for crash courses appear almost immediately after reports of a leak surface.
As part of the NEET-UG 2026 campaign, the Congress party will mobilize across 28 major cities, engaging with coaching hubs, college campuses, and student groups through leafleting and public meetings. The first phase of the protest is scheduled to culminate in a massive \"Delhi Chalo\" march on August 9. Furthermore, the party is advocating for a fixed, transparent annual recruitment and examination calendar to provide clarity and predictability for all students. By addressing these systemic issues and providing support mechanisms such as student counseling, the campaign aims to restore faith in the nation's academic institutions.
