‘Dharmendra Pradhan should resign’: Minister Eshwar Khandre on NEET UG paper leak

BENGALURU: As the political storm surrounding the NEET UG 2026 paper leak has intensified, Environment Minister Eshwar Khandre on Thursday demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, saying he should take “moral responsibility” for the failure of his department.

“Youths are protesting against the government of India for the (NEET) paper leak due, which happened to their inefficiency and corruption. The government of India has failed to protect the interests of 22 lakh youths who appeared for NEET. This is repeating every year. They have sold out their morality to the education mafia, to the medical seat mafia. .. The BJP government should take the responsibility, and Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan should take moral responsibility for the failure of his department… I demand the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan…,” Eshwar Khandre said.

#WATCH | Bengaluru | Karnataka Minister Eshwar Khandre says, “Youths are protesting against the government of India for the (NEET) paper leak due, which happened to their inefficiency and corruption. The government of India has failed to protect the interests of 22 lakh youths… pic.twitter.com/J0QTcNIOST

— ANI (@ANI) May 21, 2026

Meanwhile, the Director General (DG) of the National Testing Agency (NTA), Abhishek Singh, appeared before a Parliamentary committee to provide a detailed briefing on the NEET-UG paper leak and the steps being taken to reform the examination process. Education Secretary Vineet Joshi was also present during the deliberations that began at 11 am and went on for about 5 hours.

Sources said the standing committee members asked about the NEET-UG paper leak and ways to make the NTA test process more robust. They asked about the computer-based test infrastructure, frequency, duration of test and other parameters as NEET-UG, one of India’s most important entrance examinations. shifts to computer-based testing from next year.

Political tensions heightened amid protests over NEET UG 2026, which was cancelled on May 12 following allegations of a coordinated paper leak. The exam, conducted on May 3 across 551 cities in India and 14 cities abroad, saw participation from over 22 lakh candidates.

The Union Education Ministry has ordered strengthened security measures for the upcoming re-examination scheduled on June 21. Officials have also indicated that NEET-UG will be conducted in computer-based test (CBT) mode from next year to prevent such irregularities. (ANI)