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Congress Turns Up Heat on Education Minister Over Exam Leaks, Tender Irregularities
Jairam Ramesh listed alleged failures at NTA, CBSE, and central universities. The political pressure adds uncertainty for education sector stocks ahead of the monsoon session.
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Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Wednesday escalated the party's attack on Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, accusing him of a “whole host of failures and corruption” during his tenure. In a post on X, Ramesh said the demand for Pradhan’s resignation was not based on a single issue but on repeated mishandling of student examinations and alleged irregularities at agencies under the ministry.
Ramesh pointed to multiple failures at the National Testing Agency, including question paper leaks and examination cancellations in 2024, as well as alleged leaks of the NEET-UG and UGC-NET Sociology papers in 2026. He claimed the government ignored recommendations from the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education that aimed to strengthen the NTA.
He also alleged irregularities in the procurement of the On Screen Marking (OSM) system for CBSE Class 12 board examinations. The tender process was revised multiple times to benefit a private company, Ramesh said. He questioned the status of a one-member inquiry panel appointed by the government to investigate the matter.
The Congress leader accused the Centre of appointing vice chancellors to central universities based on political considerations. Students and faculty at Banaras Hindu University, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi University and Allahabad University had raised allegations of corruption and authoritarian functioning against their administrations, he said.