NEW DELHI — Intensifying its nationwide campaign against alleged irregularities in medical entrance examinations, the Indian Youth Congress on Saturday staged a major protest outside the residence of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, demanding his resignation over the NEET paper leak controversy and the reported suicides of four students allegedly linked to the crisis.
Led by Indian Youth Congress National President Uday Bhanu Chib, hundreds of party workers marched from South Avenue towards the minister’s residence, accusing the Modi government of repeatedly failing to protect students’ futures and allowing examination-related scandals to continue unchecked.
Heavy police deployment was seen in the area as barricades were erected to prevent protesters from reaching the minister’s residence. Several Youth Congress workers were detained while attempting to cross security barricades and raising slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the National Testing Agency (NTA).
Holding placards reading “Stop Paper Leaks” and “Justice for Students,” the protesters accused the government of ignoring the growing anxiety and frustration among students preparing for highly competitive national examinations.
Addressing the gathering, Chib launched a sharp attack on the Centre, alleging that repeated paper leaks had destroyed the credibility of India’s examination system and shattered the confidence of lakhs of students.
“The youth of the country is asking today: who is responsible for the paper leak? Even after the death of four students, ‘Leak Pradhan’ continues to remain in office while PM Modi maintains silence,” Chib said.
He alleged that repeated examination cancellations and leak controversies had pushed students into severe mental distress.
“The NEET paper leak and the deaths of four students have shaken the nation. Students are being pushed into despair while the government remains silent. How many more deaths must happen before accountability is fixed?” he asked.
Chib further claimed that despite repeated controversies surrounding recruitment and entrance examinations, the Centre had failed to introduce meaningful reforms.
“The future of millions of students is being destroyed. Young people spend years preparing for these exams, families spend their savings, and yet every few months another paper leak scandal surfaces. This is not just administrative failure — it is a betrayal of the country’s youth,” he said.
The Youth Congress demanded immediate accountability in the alleged examination leak cases and called for Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation, holding him “morally and politically responsible” for the crisis.
The organisation also demanded compensation for affected students and families while questioning the functioning and credibility of the National Testing Agency.
“The Youth Congress demands justice, accountability, and the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan,” Chib said, adding that the NTA should be “completely overhauled” for failing to ensure fair and transparent examinations.
Several senior Youth Congress leaders and office-bearers joined the protest, including National General Secretary Vikas Chikara, National Secretaries Hari Krishna, Paramjit Singh, Man Singh Rathore and Vishal Chaudhary, along with Haryana Youth Congress President Nishit Kataria.
The leaders said the agitation would continue until the government addressed students’ concerns and fixed accountability in the alleged examination scandals.
The protest is part of a broader nationwide campaign launched by the Youth Congress over alleged examination scams and rising student distress across the country.
