Repeated paper ‘leaks’ a systemic failure, Pradhan must resign: Kerala Minister

Kerala Higher Education Minister and Congress leader Roji M. John on Thursday alleged repeated paper leaks and irregularities in national examinations pointed to a “systemic failure” in the National Testing Agency (NTA), and demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

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Addressing reporters in Chennai as part of the Congress’s nationwide Chhatron Ki Goonj campaign, Mr. John said the Centre cannot “hide behind the NTA”. The Congress has launched the campaign to highlight issues such as paper leaks, rising education costs and unemployment, and to push for reforms in the education system, he said.

Mr. John referred to the cancellation of the NEET-UG earlier this year amid allegations of paper leaks and irregularities, and said such incidents were no longer isolated. “This is not just a leak. This is a systemic failure,” he said, claiming exam controversies had surfaced repeatedly in recent years, including in NEET, and that nearly 20 instances of paper leaks or irregularities had been reported in major examinations since 2017.

He said the impact of these failures went beyond the examination hall, citing financial strain on families, prolonged preparation by students and severe psychological stress. 

According to figures cited by him, nearly 100 students across the country had died by suicide over the last five to six years in connection with exam pressure and irregularities. 

He also claimed paper leaks and related irregularities in five major examinations — NEET-UG, JEE, UPSC, SSC and Railway Recruitment Board tests — had affected 6.54 crore candidates over the past decade.

Mr. John said students preparing for these examinations were spending lakhs of rupees and several years on coaching and preparation, only to face uncertainty due to alleged leaks and mismanagement. He called for a complete overhaul of the examination system and a fixed annual calendar for exams and recruitment.