‘Value of failures and corruption’: Congress steps up attack, demands Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation | Today’s news
The Congress stepped up its attack on Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Wednesday, with party general secretary Jairam Ramesh accusing him of “failure and corruption” during his tenure and reiterating demands for his resignation.
In a post on X, Ramesh claimed that the demand for Pradhan’s resignation “was not based on one issue but on a whole series of failures and corruption” that characterized his tenure as Union Education Minister.
Referring to the ongoing protests over alleged examination irregularities, Ramesh accused Pradhan of refusing to resign despite “disappointing the aspirations of millions of students”.
Ramesh points to the “repeated failure” of the NTA
The Congress leader alleged that the National Testing Agency (NTA) has failed repeatedly, including the question paper leaks and cancellation of the 2024 exams, as well as the alleged leaks of the NEET-UG and UGC-NET Sociology papers in 2026. He also alleged that the government ignored the recommendations of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education to strengthen the NTA.
He further alleged irregularities in the awarding of contracts for the On Screen Marking System (OSM) for the CBSE Class 12 board examinations, alleging that the tender was revised several times in favor of a private company. He also questioned the status of the one-man commission of inquiry appointed by the government to investigate the matter.
The Congress leader also accused the Center of appointing vice-chancellors in central universities based on political considerations. He alleged that students and faculty members at institutions including Banaras Hindu University, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi University and Allahabad University have leveled allegations of corruption and authoritarian functioning against their administrations.
Ramesh also referred to alleged irregularities involving autonomous bodies under the education ministry, including the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), the University Grants Commission (UGC), the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) and the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR).
Congress protest in front of the prime minister’s building
Calling the cases the “tip of the iceberg”, Ramesh said there would soon be a “proper reckoning” of Pradhan’s record as education minister.
The Congress staged a protest outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence on Tuesday against the police action against the students protesting the previous day. Congress leaders including Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi were removed from the venue by the police.
Meanwhile, Dharmendra Pradhan slammed the opposition for its protests against the NEET-UG row, saying students “deserve much more than being treated as props in a political campaign”. He added that “we owe our students more than outrage” and reiterated the government’s commitment to address their concerns through Parliament.
