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- NewsThe PIE News23 Jul 2026
From exam leaks to a national movement: Inside the protests reshaping India’s education debate
An exam leak scandal in India's NEET-UG medical entrance test has sparked nationwide protests demanding the resignation of the education minister. The controversy has expanded into a broader debate about the psychological toll of the country's high-stakes examination system, with reports of student suicides linked to the pressure. The CBI has arrested 13 people in connection with a multi-state network that allegedly sold leaked exam questions.
Original abstract
“Dharmendra Pradhan istifa do.” (“Dharmendra Pradhan, resign.”) The chant rolled across Mumbai’s Shivaji Park on Wednesday evening as thousands of students, graduates, parents, job seekers and supporters gathered around one of the city’s most recognisable public spaces. For hours, demonstrators occupied the roads surrounding the historic ground, long associated with political rallies and public movements. From balconies overlooking the procession, residents watched the march unfold. Some applauded as protesters passed below, while others filmed the demonstration from their homes. The immediate demand was clear: the resignation of union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The protests trace their origins to the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET-UG), India’s nationwide entrance examination for undergraduate medical and dental programs. More than 2.2 million candidates sat this year’s examination before authorities cancelled it following allegations that the question paper had been leaked, forcing students to sit an unprecedented nationwide re-examination weeks later. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is probing the alleged leak, has arrested 13 people and says it has uncovered what investigators describe as a multi-state network involving individuals linked to the examination process, coaching teachers and intermediaries. According to the agency, questions from the Physics, Chemistry and Biology papers were allegedly circulated to students before the examination in exchange for money, with searches conducted across dozens of locations continuing as investigators prepare to file a chargesheet. The controversy has also been accompanied by reports of dozens of NEET-linked student suicides this year, transforming what began as an examination scandal into a broader debate about the psychological toll of India’s intensely competitive entrance examination system. For many protesters, Pradhan has become the face of the crisis, with demonstrators a