Rahul Gandhi seeks accountability over UGC-NET exam cancellation by NTA

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Rahul Gandhi speaks during a media briefing at Indira Bhawan, in New Delhi. | Photo Credit: PTI

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday (August 17, 2026) targeted the Modi government over the UGC-NET re-exam, and demanded that the National Testing Agency's (NTA) leadership must be held accountable for it.

In a post on X, he alleged that "this is no longer an education system. It is an extraction machine".

"Modi ji, look at what your NTA has just done. UGC-NET exams for Sociology, English and Commerce were held between 22 and 30 June. Nearly two months later, NTA has cancelled all three because it set faulty papers and repeated old questions," he said.

Mr. Gandhi said thousands of candidates who prepared for years, filled forms, paid the fees, travelled to distant centres, must now do it all again in September.

"I said this in Kota, in Dehradun, in Prayagraj, and I will keep saying it - this is no longer an education system. It is an extraction machine. It takes your money, your years, your mental health, and your confidence and returns nothing. Not even a job," the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha said.

Also read: UGC-NET 2026: NTA releases provisional answer keys for 84 subjects

"NTA still won't answer the real question - were these papers leaked before the exam? "Just like every other arm of the Modi government, NTA never says it's their fault. Just like every other compromised paper, I am absolutely sure there will be no accountability," Mr. Gandhi also said.

The Congress leader said Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation was the first step, not the last. "NTA's leadership must be held accountable too," he demanded.

"To every student sitting this exam again in September - you are not the problem. PM Modi built a system that cannot run an exam and then blames the students who take it. Your years are being stolen and we will not stop until PM Modi answers for it," Mr. Gandhi said in his post.

Modi ji, look at what your NTA has just done. UGC-NET exams for Sociology, English and Commerce were held between 22 and 30 June. Nearly two months later, NTA has cancelled all three because it set faulty papers and repeated old questions. Thousands of candidates who prepared… https://t.co/TUMhhMhjvL

Aspirants wait in a queue at the examination centre. Image used for representative purpose only. File | Photo Credit: ANI

The National Testing Agency (NTA) on Sunday (August 16) announced the retest for three papers of the UGC-NET June 2026 examination, English, Commerce and Sociology, following complaints about several errors in these papers.