New Delhi: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday sharply criticised the opposition over the handling of the NEET UG 2026 controversy, accusing Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi of creating anxiety among students and using the issue for political gains.
Speaking on the ongoing debate surrounding the medical entrance examination, Pradhan alleged that statements made by opposition leaders had unnecessarily increased stress among lakhs of aspirants and their families. He urged political parties to avoid turning issues related to students and examinations into political battlegrounds.
The minister also questioned the timing of political events organised by opposition parties in major coaching hubs ahead of the examination, arguing that such activities could negatively impact students preparing for one of the country’s most competitive tests.
Responding to criticism over the deployment of security forces and government agencies during the re-examination process, Pradhan defended the decision and said every available resource was utilised to ensure a secure and transparent examination environment for candidates across the country.
He further criticised the Congress by referring to an incident in which some students allegedly faced difficulties reaching their examination centres because of a political rally, stating that such incidents raised questions about the opposition’s criticism of the government’s handling of the exam.
Pradhan also defended the extensive measures adopted for the re-examination after the cancellation of the earlier test over allegations of paper leaks. He acknowledged that shortcomings had existed in the past but said corrective steps had since been implemented to strengthen the system.
The minister said authorities had introduced multiple layers of security and verification, while several individuals accused of attempting to disrupt the process had already been arrested. He added that stricter action would be taken against examination fraud networks and paper leak syndicates through fast track legal proceedings.
More than 20 lakh candidates appeared for the NEET UG 2026 re-examination conducted across thousands of centres in India and abroad, with enhanced security measures including biometric verification, CCTV monitoring, jammers and multiple levels of frisking deployed to ensure fairness and transparency.
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