Ponnam Slams Centre for NEET Paper Leakage, Exam Cancellation

 Warangal: Transport minister Ponnam Prabhakar on Tuesday expressed deep outrage over the leakage of National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET) question paper and subsequent cancellation of the exam, terming the twin events as a massive failure of the central government, which has upset nearly 22 lakh students across the country.

In a statement released here, the minister highlighted that approximately 71,000 students from Telangana had worked tirelessly for the exam. He criticised the BJP-led governments at the centre and in Rajasthan for failing to maintain a transparent examination system and playing with the future of millions of students.

Prabhakar underlined that the scandal has brought disrepute to the nation’s education system. He demanded that the centre take full responsibility for the crisis. He urged students and parents to remain courageous and assured them that the Congress government in Telangana would stand by them to protect their academic interests and future prospects.

Separately, Praja Vedika state chairman Dr. Tirunahari Seshu slammed the National Testing Agency (NTA). He criticised the government’s decision to outsource such high-stakes exams to testing agencies, rather than managing them directly with transparency.

Dr. Seshu charged that corruption and inefficiency have become common in both recruitment and entrance exams, leading to widespread frustration among youth. He maintained that the failure of testing agencies and public service commissions ultimately harm meritorious students who rely on fair competition.

The Praja Vedika chairman called for immediate resignation of union Education minister Dharmendra Pradhan on moral grounds.