Rahul Gandhi Targets Centre on Education Issues
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi intensified his criticism of the Union government regarding alleged systemic failures in the education sector ahead of his two-day visit to his parliamentary constituency of Raebareli today. Gandhi specifically highlighted issues concerning the NEET examination, CBSE Class 12 results, and a recently introduced language rule for Class 9 students.
Key Concerns Raised by Gandhi
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Gandhi outlined three primary areas of concern:
- NEET Paper Leak: He stated that the alleged paper leak for the NEET examination was impacting approximately 22 lakh students, leading to widespread uncertainty.
- CBSE Class 12 Marks: Gandhi pointed out that many Class 12 students were receiving unexpectedly low marks due to a "broken OSM system," jeopardizing their eligibility for college admissions.
- New Language Rule for Class 9: He criticized the sudden implementation of a new language requirement for lakhs of CBSE Class 9 students starting July 1, noting a severe lack of teachers and textbooks. He added that Class 6 books were being provided to 14-year-olds as a "transitional fix."
"Department of Disasters"
Gandhi extended his criticism to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, accusing him of systemic failures across multiple examinations. In his social media post, Gandhi asserted, "Dharmendra Pradhan ji has not failed once. He has failed every single age group of India’s students at once. Every announcement plunges children deeper into uncertainty. Every failure goes unpunished."
He further declared, "The Education Ministry has become a department of disasters." Gandhi also called on Prime Minister Modi to apologize to the "lakhs of children whose futures you and your Minister have destroyed."
Ongoing NEET Controversy
These remarks come amidst ongoing controversy surrounding the NEET UG 2026 examination, which has faced allegations of a paper leak and subsequent cancellation, further fueling public debate on the integrity of the national examination system.