NEET 2026 row on ‘paper leak’: Rahul Gandhi’s three questions for PM Modi; protest march in Bengaluru on May 21 — 10 points | Today’s news
Nearly 23 million students, three suicides and nine arrests, the NEET-UG 2026 ‘paper leak’ controversy continues to spiral as the opposition demands the removal of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged irregularities in conducting the medical examination.
The National Testing Agency (NTA) has canceled the National Eligibility cum (Undergraduate) entrance exam held on May 3 amid allegations of irregularities. Nearly 23,000 candidates registered for the test, which was administered by the NTA across the country.
The make-up exam is scheduled for June 21.
Read also | I asked ChatGPT what will change when NEET goes digital from next year
Here’s all the latest you need to know:
1. As of May 17, the CBI has arrested nine people in connection with the NEET-UG 2026 ‘paper leak’.
2. Delhi’s Rouse Avenue court on Sunday remanded Manisha Mandhare, a botanical expert and member of the NTA panel, to 14-day CBI custody in connection with NEET UG Exam Paper Leak Case.
Mandhare allegedly conspired with other co-accused persons, including Manisha Waghmare and Prahlad Vittal Rao Kulkarni, to leak questions and content to students for substantial monetary gain.
Read also | NEET 2026 paper leak: What we know so far about the CBI probe from the May 3 entrance test
3. On May 16, a Rouse Avenue court granted 10-day CBI custody to Manisha Waghmare and Prahalad Kulkarni.
The CBI said Prahalad Kulkarni is a retired chemistry teacher who distributed the exam paper to various people through Manisha Waghmare. She gave the exam paper to Dhananjay Lokhande from Pune and was in touch with him. They are from Pune, Maharashtra.
4. On Friday, a court sent Dhananjay Lokhande to CBI custody for six days in the NEET UG exam paper leak case. The other five accused are also in seven-day CBI custody. All the accused will be brought to court on May 22.
The agency said accused Dhananjay Nivrutti Lokhande, known to Shubham, collected the NEET 2026 material from co-accused Manisha Waghmare, who is a resident of Pune.
The CBI further stated that after receiving the said NEET, 2026 examination paper, Lokhande further handed it over to accused Shubham Madhukar Khairnar. On April 24, Yash Yadav received PDF files of leaked question papers from Shubham Madhukar Khairnar via telegram.
Read also | Rahul Gandhi tells PM amid NEET-UG 2026 row: “Sack Dharmendra Pradhan or…”
5. Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Sunday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi why he is not removing Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan despite repeated paper leaks during his tenure.
In a post on X, Gandhi also questioned the Prime Minister’s “silence” on the issue.
“NEET 2024: Paper leaked. Exam not cancelled. Minister not resigned. CBI starts probe. Committee formed.
“NEET 2026: Paper leaked. Exam cancelled. Minister still not resigned. CBI re-investigating. Another committee to be formed,” Gandhi wrote on X.
“Mr Modi, the country is asking you some questions – answer them! Why are there repeated paper leaks? Why are you silent on ‘Pariksha pe Charcha’ again and again? Why don’t you remove the education minister who is repeatedly failing?” asked the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha using the hashtag “#SackPradhan”.
Read also | NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case: Who are the five people arrested by CBI?
6. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi also said, “There are three such suicides that have happened. And yes, I agree with what Rahul Gandhi is saying. These are murders committed by the Government of India…Until we see accountability coming from the top, directly from the Education Minister. We will see such cases happening again and again…”
7. Meanwhile, Telangana BJP president N Ramchander Rao said, “… In the NEET case, the CBI took up the investigation and arrested the king and several other accused.”
“This is undoubtedly the question of the future of students appearing for the NEET examination. The government acted as soon as the leak was detected and ensured that the culprits were brought to justice,” Rao said.
He lashed out at the Congress saying, “Instead of focusing on improving the system and advising the NTA on prevention, the Congress party is unnecessarily deceiving the students who have already suffered…”
He said the Congress should not politicize the issue, given that the history of such leaks began during his time. Congress has no moral right to speak on this subject.”
Read also | NEET paper leak: The exam will be computer based instead of OMR from next year
8. Youth Congress workers staged a protest at Chennai Egmore railway station over cancellation of NEET UG 2026 exam.
A protester told ANI, “… This year’s NEET exam has been cancelled. There have been 89 paper leak cases in the last 10 years under the Modi government. Central government, National Testing Agency and ministries have not conducted a single NEET exam without irregularities…”
9. The Karnataka Youth Congress has said it will organize a ‘Raj Bhavan Chalo’ protest march in Bengaluru on May 21 over the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak controversy, in which several senior Congress leaders are expected to attend.
The protest march will start from Freedom Park at 11 am and proceed towards Raj Bhavan, said HS Manjunath, president of the Congress Youth Unit.
10. Amid the NEET-UG controversy, the NTA has appointed several senior officials to key administrative posts at a time when the agency is facing criticism following allegations of a paper leak and cancellation of the NEET-UG 2026 exam.
As per the official orders, Anuja Bapat has been appointed as Joint Secretary in NTA under Ministry of Higher Education. Her appointment will be effective from the date she assumes responsibility for a period of five years or until further orders. The post has been temporarily upgraded from the level of Deputy Secretary/Director to Joint Secretary for an initial period of two years.
