Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Saturday slammed the Centre after a NEET aspirant from Nagpur, who had been preparing for the re-examination, received an just a day before the test.
The student, who was originally assigned a centre at Saraswati Vidyalaya in Nagpur for the initial examination, discovered the error only after downloading his fresh admit card following the rescheduling of the exam in the wake of the alleged paper leak controversy.
Taking to X, Gandhi highlighted the student’s ordeal and questioned the functioning of the examination system.
“A child from Nagpur had been preparing for the NEET re-exam for a month. Just one day before yesterday’s exam, he downloaded his admit card. His centre turned out to be — Abu Dhabi. No passport, no money in the family to send him abroad, and no time left now. He cried all night and is refusing to take the exam — what kind of stress is this, can you even imagine?” Gandhi wrote.
He alleged that the incident caused immense mental stress, leaving the aspirant distraught and unwilling to appear for the examination.
Questioning how such an error could have occurred, Gandhi accused the National Testing Agency (NTA) of putting students and their families through unnecessary hardship.
“How did this even happen? Yesterday, no student should have had any complaint about not being able to reach their centre. The NTA is actually just testing the patience of the country’s children and their parents,” he said.
He further argued that a system incapable of assigning an examination centre in a student’s own city had no right to conduct such high-stakes examinations.
The family has since lodged a complaint with the NTA helpline. The agency reportedly acknowledged the error and assured them that a revised admit card would be issued after verification.
Referring to his recent visit to Kota, where he met students and expressed solidarity with them amid the NEET controversy, Gandhi said the country’s education system was failing young people.
“This is no longer an education system. This is nothing but extortion of an entire generation’s money, time and mental peace,” he said.
Urging the government to stop “experimenting” with students’ futures, Gandhi added: “Stop gambling with our children’s future. They deserve a sensitive, responsible and accountable education system and exam authority — and we will ensure they get it.”
Gandhi recently and draw attention to the challenges faced by aspirants preparing for competitive examinations. Addressing a gathering, he emphasised that the event was not political in nature.
“This is not about the BJP, Congress or elections. This evening is about you and the challenges you are facing,” he said, a day after the BJP accused him of politicising the issue.
Referring to his Bharat Jodo Yatra, Gandhi said many young people he met spoke of their aspirations to become IAS officers, doctors, engineers and lawyers, prompting him to question whether India’s education system was adequately helping them achieve those goals.
