The Congress has intensified its campaign for reforms in the examination system to prevent repeated leaks and against the large-scale unemployment prevailing across the country. The party has announced to launch nationwide campaign “Chhatron ki Goonj”, seeking to mobilise students against paper leaks, examination irregularities, delays and cancellations, while demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and a comprehensive overhaul of the country’s examination system.
Announcing the 40-day programme, here today, senior party leader and CWC member Rajeev Shukla, Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring and Chandigarh Congress president Rajwinder Lucky said the campaign would be conducted across the country and would focus on engaging students at coaching centres, universities, hostels, libraries and public spaces.
The Congress leaders alleged that recurring examination controversies had severely undermined public confidence in competitive examinations and recruitment processes, describing the issue as a “national crisis” affecting millions of students and job aspirants. At the centre of the campaign, they added, is the controversy surrounding NEET UG 2026.
They cited reports that the National Testing Agency (NTA) cancelled the medical entrance examination conducted on May 3 following allegations of a question paper leak, leading to a CBI investigation and a fresh examination for over two million candidates. The party leaders noted that the episode represented not merely the cancellation of an examination but a broader erosion of trust in public institutions responsible for conducting high-stakes tests.
Referring to reports of arrests made during the probe, Congress leaders alleged that the case pointed to serious vulnerabilities within the examination ecosystem. They argued that if individuals connected with the examination process had access to confidential question papers, accountability should extend beyond lower-level officials and agencies.
The party leaders accused the Centre of failing to prevent recurring examination scandals and said responsibility for safeguarding the integrity of national examinations ultimately rested with the government. They said, repeated disruptions in examinations have affected not only students but also job seekers waiting for recruitment processes to be completed, making the issue both an education and employment concern.
Congress leaders noted that paper leaks had evolved into organised criminal operations involving multiple stages of the examination process, including question paper preparation, printing, transportation and examination centres. Congress leaders called for the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and sought an independent investigation into links between paper leak networks, contractors, vendors, officials and any political protection systems.
Outlining the campaign schedule, Congress leaders said grassroots mobilisation activities would begin on June 30 and include pamphlet distribution, corner meetings and direct student outreach programmes. Throughout July, the campaign will feature student engagement initiatives, campus interactions and “Ambedkar Samvaad” programmes, party leaders said.
The campaign is scheduled to culminate with simultaneous collectorate demonstrations in 28 cities on August 1, followed by a “Sansad Gherao” in New Delhi on August 9 aimed at pressing the Centre to address students’ concerns.