NSUI, Youth Congress protests in Udupi over NEET paper leak; seeks Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation, ban on NTA
Udupi: Condemning the alleged NEET question paper leak, the Udupi district unit of the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) and Youth Congress staged a protest at Tiger Circle in Manipal on Monday, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and a ban on the National Testing Agency (NTA).
Speaking on the occasion, Udupi District NSUI President Saurabh Ballal alleged that the NEET-UG 2026 examination conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) under the BJP-led Central Government had been marred by question paper leaks and large-scale irregularities, resulting in the examination’s cancellation. He said that for the second time in the last three years, the dreams of hardworking students aspiring for medical education had been auctioned off to coaching mafias and corrupt officials.
He further stated that the Central Government had once again proved its inability to conduct a fair and transparent national examination. Lakhs of students across Karnataka, including Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts, had spent two years preparing for the exam and lakhs of rupees on coaching, only to now face uncertainty and severe mental stress, he said.
Saurabh Ballal said that conducting a re-examination despite no fault of the students amounted to unjust punishment. He alleged that the NTA had repeatedly failed and lost all credibility, and demanded its immediate dissolution, accusing it of becoming a puppet in the hands of coaching mafias.
He also demanded a high-level investigation into the question paper leak and called for forming a judicial commission under the Supreme Court’s supervision to expose the nexus between coaching mafias and the NTA and ensure strict punishment for those involved.
Holding Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan morally responsible for the entire scandal, he demanded his resignation. Ballal also urged the government to allow Karnataka to conduct a separate medical entrance examination and demanded that NEET in the state be conducted through CET.
Later, the protestors attempted to stage a road blockade, but the police intervened, stopped them, and took them into custody.
Congress District Working President Kishan Hegde Kolkebailu, Vice President Prakhyath Shetty, Youth Congress District Vice President Arjun Nayari, NSUI Vice President Sharath Kundar, State Secretary Aneesh Kumar, Yuva Sajjan Shetty, Sudesh Shetty, Suraj Shetty, Mallik Attur, Srujan Shetty, Sumanth Shetty, Pramod Poojary, Manjunath Jogi, Gaurish Kotyan, Mohammed Niyaz, Siraz Sheikh, and others were present during the protest.
