NEW DELHI—India's opposition parties on Thursday intensified demands for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the alleged NEET-UG 2026 examination paper leak, deepening a parliamentary deadlock and increasing pressure on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government amid nationwide student protests.
Proceedings in both houses of Parliament were repeatedly disrupted for a fourth consecutive day as opposition lawmakers insisted Pradhan step down before any debate on the examination scandal could begin. Leaders of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rejected the demand, saying the government was prepared to discuss the issue without preconditions.
Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said the minister should accept responsibility for what opposition parties described as a systemic failure in the conduct of high-stakes public examinations. Congress leader K.C. Venugopal said opposition parties would not withdraw their demand and would continue pressing for accountability before participating in discussions. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju urged opposition members to allow a debate, accusing them of obstructing parliamentary business by attaching conditions to the discussion.
The confrontation follows weeks of demonstrations led largely by students angered by alleged examination paper leaks and irregularities affecting NEET-UG 2026, one of India's largest medical entrance examinations. Protesters have demanded reforms to the examination system, accountability for those responsible and Pradhan's resignation.
Prime Minister Modi earlier announced plans to establish fast-track courts to handle examination leak cases, describing the integrity of public examinations as a national priority. However, opposition leaders and protest organizers said the announcement did not address political accountability and maintained their demand that the education minister resign.
The government has maintained that it is committed to investigating alleged irregularities and implementing reforms while urging Parliament to debate the issue. BJP leaders have argued that discussions inside the legislature, rather than continued disruptions, are the appropriate forum for addressing students' concerns.
Outside Parliament, protests continued in New Delhi and other cities as students and opposition supporters called for greater transparency in the administration of national examinations. Police maintained heightened security in parts of the capital following earlier clashes between demonstrators and security forces.
By Thursday evening, no agreement had been reached between the government and opposition parties, and parliamentary proceedings remained stalled as both sides held to their positions on whether debate could proceed without the education minister's resignation.
