The Congress party staged a protest in Sikar against the cancellation controversy surrounding the NEET-UG 2026 examination. Party workers raised slogans against the Central government and the National Testing Agency (NTA) and burned an effigy of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
During the protest, party workers expressed concern over alleged irregularities in the examination system and incidents of paper leaks linked to the examination process.
The protest was led by Sunita Gathala, who said that the controversy had affected not only students but also the aspirations of nearly 2.2 million families across the country. She alleged that the leakage of the question paper before the examination reflected serious negligence on the part of the government and the examination agency.
According to her, students spend years preparing for the examination, but repeated irregularities have undermined their efforts.
Congress workers gathered outside the district collectorate and raised slogans against the Central government while burning an effigy of the Union Education Minister. During the demonstration, workers stated that repeated failures were emerging in the examination system instead of improvements, leading to growing dissatisfaction among students.
Jeevan Khan, who also participated in the protest, said that repeated paper leak incidents had damaged the reputation of Sikar as an educational centre. He stated that Sikar is known as one of the country’s major coaching hubs, but recurring controversies had raised questions over the credibility of the education system.
He demanded an impartial investigation into the matter and strict action against those responsible in order to restore students’ confidence.
Police personnel were deployed during the protest to maintain order. Protesters attempted to enter the collectorate premises, but police stopped them at the main gate. Sloganeering continued for some time, creating a tense atmosphere before police officials brought the situation under control and confined the protest outside the collectorate premises.
Sikar is considered India’s second-largest coaching hub after Kota. Around 250,000 students prepare annually in the city for NEET and JEE examinations.
According to local education experts, repeated paper leaks and examination controversies have had a direct impact on students’ morale and the credibility of the education system.
Concerns among students and parents have increased following reports of the examination cancellation and paper leak allegations. Several students said that they prepare for years to appear in the examination, but recurring controversies affect both their preparation and mental condition.
Education experts and political parties have called for ber transparency measures and enhanced technological safeguards in the examination system. They have also demanded swift action against those found responsible.
