By Shishir Prashant 
PrashantNews
Dehradun: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday launched a sharp attack on the Centre over the recurring incidents of examination paper leaks, saying educational institutions and testing agencies must remain free from political influence.
Addressing students at the ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ programme at Bannu School Ground in Dehradun, Gandhi described paper leaks as one of the gravest injustices faced by the country’s youths.
“Our educational institutions must be independent. Universities should not be controlled by any political party or organisation. Vice-Chancellors should not belong to any one organisation, and neither should those heading the National Testing Agency,” Gandhi said.
Calling paper leaks an “iceberg”, he argued that only a fraction of such incidents come to light while many more remain undetected. He claimed that 152 examination papers had been leaked in the past 10 years, affecting the future of nearly 7.5 crore students, but “not a single person has been convicted or punished.”
“On average, one paper has leaked every month over the last decade. The conviction rate is zero,” he said, adding that paper leaks had become a “central issue” for the country and amounted to an insult to hardworking students and their parents.
Referring to the NEET paper leak controversy, Gandhi said several students had taken the extreme step of ending their lives after the scandal, accusing the government of failing even to express condolences to their families.
Highlighting the intense competition in government recruitment and entrance examinations, Gandhi said only six lakh candidates succeed out of nearly nine crore aspirants, meaning just one out of every 150 candidates secures success. He added that an average family spends around ₹9 lakh on a child’s education, making paper leaks not only a betrayal of students’ hard work but also of their parents’ sacrifices.
He proposed the use of technology and randomisation to conduct examinations over multiple days instead of on a single day, saying such reforms would significantly reduce the possibility of question papers being leaked.
Gandhi also opposed the outsourcing of examinations to private companies, arguing that conducting public examinations is the government’s responsibility. He demanded swift convictions and strict punishment for those involved in paper leak cases.
He further suggested that students affected by paper leaks should receive legal protection, prompt re-examinations and financial compensation. “These are practical suggestions that can be implemented immediately to restore fairness and credibility in the country’s education and examination system,” he said.
The programme turned emotional when the father of Riya Kumari, a 23-year-old NEET aspirant from Dehradun who allegedly died by suicide recently, addressed the gathering. Fighting back tears, he recalled his daughter’s hard work and said she had been deeply distressed after the NEET paper leak controversy.
“My daughter studied till two or three in the morning. She was worried after the NEET paper leak. I told her not to take too much stress,” he said, adding that even after her death, the government had not issued a condolence message.
As the audience fell silent, Rahul Gandhi walked up to Riya’s father and embraced him, offering words of comfort. The event was also attended by hundreds of students and parents, while four aspirants preparing for competitive examinations shared their experiences of months of preparation and the emotional toll caused by paper leaks.