Congress seeks Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation, cites NTA failures and corruption al
Congress seeks Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation, cites NTA failures and corruption allegations
M.U.H
23/07/202632
The Congress on Wednesday again demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, alleging repeated failures of the National Testing Agency (NTA) and a series of corruption cases in the Education Ministry during his tenure.
Congress general secretary in-charge communications and Rajya Sabha MP Jairam Ramesh said the demand for Pradhan's resignation was not based on any single issue but on what he described as a series of failures and alleged corruption under the Minister's watch.
Ramesh alleged that the NTA had repeatedly failed under Pradhan's tenure, referring to the paper leaks and examination cancellations in 2024 and the alleged leaks of the NEET-UG and UGC-NET Sociology examination papers in 2026.
He also accused the Minister of denying that paper leaks had taken place and ignoring recommendations of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education to strengthen the NTA. The Congress leader also alleged irregularities in the procurement of the On Screen Marking System (OSM) for the CBSE Class XII Board examinations.
He claimed the tender was revised three times before the contract was awarded to a company with a poor track record and said there had been no update on the findings of the one-member panel constituted by the government to investigate the matter, even after the expiry of its one-month deadline. Ramesh further alleged that appointments of Vice Chancellors in several central universities were being made on the basis of political affiliation.
Referring to institutions, including Banaras Hindu University, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi University, and Allahabad University, he claimed students and faculty had raised allegations of corruption and arbitrary functioning against their administrations.
He also referred to protests at North Eastern Hill University and Tezpur University against their Vice Chancellors. The Congress leader also referred to alleged irregularities in autonomous bodies under the Education Ministry, including the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), the University Grants Commission (UGC), and the Indian Council for Historical Research (ICHR). He alleged these reflected a wider pattern of corruption in institutions under the Ministry. Calling it "the tip of the iceberg," Ramesh said there would soon be "a proper accounting" of Pradhan's record as Union Education Minister.
