Congress flags Exam irregularities, seeks Pradhan’s resignation

PNS

Ranchi

The Jharkhand Pradesh Congress Committee on Tuesday expressed deep concern over the alleged deterioration of the examination system, rising unemployment, and the declining quality of education in the country, demanding urgent corrective measures from the Centre.

Addressing a press conference at Congress Bhawan, party leaders including media chairman Satish Paul Munjini, state media coordinator Lal Kishore Nath Shahdeo, media coordinator Dr Tauseef, and spokesperson Sonal Shanti highlighted what they termed a “systemic failure” affecting millions of students across India.

The leaders claimed that between 2014 and 2024, nearly 89 cases of question paper leaks were reported nationwide, forcing authorities to re-conduct 48 examinations. Citing additional data, they said that in just five years, 41 paper leak incidents were recorded across 15 states, leaving around 1.4 crore aspirants—competing for just over one lakh posts—in uncertainty.

Despite the implementation of the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, which has stringent penalties including imprisonment of 3 to 10 years and fines up to ₹1 crore, the party alleged that incidents of malpractice continue unabated in several states. “This clearly shows that legislation alone is not enough without strict enforcement,” the leaders said.

Highlighting recent controversies, the Congress pointed out that irregularities in four major examinations alone have impacted over one crore students. These include NEET-UG 2026, affecting nearly 24 lakh candidates and now under CBI investigation; the Uttar Pradesh Police Constable Recruitment 2024 exam, cancelled after a leak impacting 48 lakh aspirants; CTET 2021, which affected over 28 lakh candidates; and UGC-NET 2024, cancelled shortly after being conducted, impacting around 11 lakh students.

The party also raised concerns over large-scale vacancies in government jobs. According to official data, over 9.64 lakh posts were vacant in central government departments as of March 2023, while Central Armed Police Forces had over 84,000 vacancies by mid-2024. Railway recruitment figures, they noted, have seen only marginal growth despite a surge in applicants.

Calling the situation alarming, the Congress cited student suicides as a tragic consequence, noting that around 13,000 students died by suicide in 2022 alone. The party demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and called for increased education funding and systemic reforms.