Education system rigged: Rahul Gandhi cites 152 paper leaks, zero convictions

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday accused the government of failing India's students, claiming that 152 examination paper leaks have taken place over the past 10 years without a single conviction.Wearing a black armband in protest against the police crackdown on Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protesters, he alleged that the country's education system had become rigged and said millions of students and their families were paying the price. "Our education system, which was known to be one of the best in the world, is today a rigged system," he said.The Raebareli MP questioned the police action against students seeking accountability over the conduct of examination systems and the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan."What have our students done wrong? Why are security forces pointing weapons at them, beating them, thrashing them and humiliating them? Dharmendra Pradhan should be shown the door. He is incapable of holding the post," he said. Gandhi's remarks came a day after he was detained by Delhi Police during a dharna near Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence over the NEET paper leak and police action against CJP protesters, demanding Pradhan's resignation. Visuals from the protest showed Gandhi being dragged away by police personnel and having a bloodied nose.Defending the protest, Gandhi said the focus should remain on students rather than his treatment by police. "The Prime Minister should have the decency to apologise to students. He is only running the system. I don't care about the way I was treated. Treat me five times worse than what I was treated, but the focus should remain on students," he said. He said the students were protesting peacefully and demanding nothing more than a fair education system. "They are simply asking for what this country owes them. They deserve an education system that works. They deserve an education system that is fair, and they don't have it," Gandhi said.The Congress MP said repeated paper leaks had pushed students under immense stress, with some even taking their own lives after years of preparation."Children have committed suicide. Students go through enormous stress, and then at the last moment they are told that the paper has leaked. This is no longer an isolated problem. It has become a deep crisis in this country," he said.Calling the situation a systemic failure, Gandhi claimed that 152 paper leaks had occurred in the last 10 years – roughly one every month – but there had not been a single conviction.Gandhi alleged that nearly 7.5 crore students and their families, most of them from middle-class and poor households, had been affected by recurring examination leaks."Families spend their hard-earned money on their children's education, only to see their hopes shattered. Someone, or a group of people, is destroying India's education system, our country's most valuable asset, and destroying the lives of our students. Yet the government has secured zero convictions," he said.He argued that this was the primary reason behind the ongoing protest, saying young people were demanding accountability rather than making unreasonable demands.Referring to the financial burden of competitive examinations, Gandhi claimed that the cost borne by families for a single major exam was comparable to the government's entire education budget, underscoring the economic pressure on aspirants.Earlier in the day, the BJP described Gandhi's protest outside PM Modi's residence as "childish" and accused him of creating an "atmosphere of anarchy" despite Parliament being in session. The ruling party also held a counter-protest condemning the Congress's demonstration.- EndsPublished By: Sonali VermaPublished On: Jul 22, 2026 16:33 IST