By Agartala Correspondent | Tripura 24.in
AGARTALA | May 14, 2026
AGARTALA: Escalating their attack on the Central Government over the cancellation of the NEET-UG 2026 medical entrance exam, the Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) and its youth wing organized a massive protest demonstration in front of the Congress Bhavan today. The protest comes in the wake of the National Testing Agency’s (NTA) decision to scrap the May 3 examination following a confirmed “guess paper” leak and a subsequent CBI investigation.
Activists gathered with black flags and effigies, blocking the main road for a brief period while raising slogans against the Union Education Ministry and the NTA.
A Systemic Collapse: Congress Allegations
Addressing the protesters, senior Congress leaders stated that the repeat of paper leak scandals—following similar allegations in 2024—proves that the current central examination system has completely collapsed.
Key Issues Highlighted:
- Betrayal of Merit: Protesters highlighted the plight of over 22.79 lakh students nationwide (including thousands from Tripura) whose months of hard work were negated by “paper mafias.”
- The “Price of a Doctor”: Congress leaders alleged that while honest students study, leaked papers were being sold for anywhere between ₹25,000 and ₹40 lakh, making medical seats a commodity for the rich.
- NTA’s Credibility: The party demanded the permanent dissolution of the NTA, calling it a “den of corruption” that has failed to conduct a single fair major national exam this year.
Demands for Resignation and Justice
The Tripura Congress placed a specific set of demands before the Governor of Tripura to be forwarded to the President of India:
- Resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan: The party demanded that the Union Education Minister step down for his “total failure” in securing national-level examinations.
- Judicial Oversight: While the CBI is investigating, the Congress demanded a Supreme Court-monitored probe to ensure no political patrons of the paper leak racket are shielded.
- Financial Compensation: Demanded that the government reimburse the travel and accommodation costs of students who had to travel to distant centers for the now-cancelled exam.
- Decentralized Exams: Reiteration of the demand to allow states to conduct their own medical entrance tests to avoid such nationwide catastrophes.
“We Will Not Be Silent”: Nil Kamal Saha
Tripura Youth Congress President Nil Kamal Saha, who has been leading the charge since yesterday’s press meet, stated that today’s protest is just the beginning of a larger movement.
”Many students in Tripura come from humble backgrounds; their parents took loans for their coaching. Who will pay for their mental trauma today? The BJP government has turned education into a business. Until the Union Minister resigns and a fresh, transparent date is announced with full security guarantees, our protests will continue in every block of Tripura,” Saha remarked during the demonstration.
Next Steps
The Congress announced that they would be submitting a formal memorandum to the Governor tomorrow. Meanwhile, the NTA has indicated that a fresh schedule for the re-examination will be released within the next 7 to 10 days, though the Congress remains skeptical of the agency’s ability to conduct it fairly.
A heavy police presence was noted around the Post Office Chowmuhani and Congress Bhavan area, though the protest remained largely peaceful.
