Rerun paper ‘leaks’ system failure, Pradhan must resign: Kerala minister

Kerala Higher Education and Technical Education Minister Roji M. John said the Center cannot “hide behind the NTA”. File | Photo credit: H. Vibhu

Kerala Higher Education Minister and Congress leader Roji M. John on Thursday claimed that repeated document leaks and irregularities in national examinations point 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’ nationwide Chhatron Ki Goonj campaign, Mr. John said the Center cannot “hide behind the NTA”. The Congress had launched the campaign to highlight issues such as paper leakage, rising cost of education and unemployment and to push for reforms in the education system, he said.

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

He said the impact of these failures went beyond the exam hall, citing the financial burden on families, long preparation times for students and severe psychological stress.

According to the figures he cited, nearly 100 students across the country have died by suicide in the last five to six years due to exam pressure and irregularities.

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

Mr. John said students preparing for these exams have spent millions 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 examination and recruitment calendar.

Published – 25 Jun 2026 23:09 IST