'Host of failures and corruption': Congress steps up attack, seeks Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation

The Congress on Wednesday intensified its attack on Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, with party general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh accusing him of "failures and corruption" during his tenure while reiterating the demand for his resignation.

In a post on X, Ramesh alleged that the demand for Pradhan's resignation was "not premised on one issue but a whole host of failures and corruption" that had characterised his tenure as Union education minister.

Referring to the ongoing protests over alleged examination irregularities, Ramesh accused Pradhan of refusing to resign despite "disappointing the aspirations of millions of students".

Ramesh points to 'repeated failure' of NTA

The Congress leader alleged repeated failures of the National Testing Agency (NTA), including question paper leaks and examination cancellations in 2024, as well as the alleged NEET-UG and UGC-NET Sociology paper leaks in 2026. He also claimed that the government had ignored recommendations of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education aimed at strengthening the NTA.

He further alleged irregularities in the procurement of the On Screen Marking (OSM) system for the CBSE Class 12 board examinations, claiming that the tender process was revised multiple times to benefit a private company. He also questioned the status of a one-member inquiry panel appointed by the government to investigate the matter.

The Congress leader also accused the Centre of appointing vice chancellors to central universities based on political considerations. He claimed that students and faculty members at institutions including Banaras Hindu University, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi University and Allahabad University had raised allegations of corruption and authoritarian functioning against their administrations.

Ramesh also referred to alleged irregularities involving autonomous bodies under the Ministry of Education, including the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), the University Grants Commission (UGC), the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) and the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR).

Congress' protest outside PM house

Calling these instances "the tip of the iceberg", Ramesh said there would soon be "a proper accounting" of Pradhan's record as education minister.

Congress on Tuesday staged a protest outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence against the police action on students protesting the previous day. The Congress leaders including Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi were removed from the site by police.

Meanwhile, Dharmendra Pradhan has criticised the Opposition over its protests on the NEET-UG controversy, saying students "deserve far better than being treated as props in a political campaign". He added that "we owe our students more than outrage", reiterating the government's commitment to addressing their concerns through Parliament.