The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed a charge sheet against 13 arrested accused persons in the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case, the agency said on Tuesday (July 28, 2026). All of them are currently in judicial custody.

The charge sheet comes days after Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned from the post on July 25, in the wake of over a month-long agitation led by the Cockroach Janta Party.

The agency has invoked provisions related to criminal conspiracy, cheating, criminal breach of trust, destruction of evidence and other associated charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act.

It has cited 360 witnesses, 422 documents, and 43 material objects in the charge sheet.

The agency registered the case based on a complaint lodged by the Department of Higher Education on May 12, alleging irregularities in the conduct of the NEET-UG 2026 examination, which was held on May 3. The test was subsequently cancelled.

The CBI formed multiple teams with 72 officials and personnel, along with eight cyber forensic experts, to investigate the case. Searches were carried out at 92 locations in Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, and other States.

“These searches led to the seizure of incriminating material like digital and communication devices, documents etc. Forensic imaging and analysis of the incriminating material has been undertaken,” said the agency, adding that source of the leak was unearthed within weeks.

“The path from source of the leak to the beneficiary candidates was unearthed, leading to the identification of the chain. The first arrest in this case was made on May 13, 2026, it said.

Among the arrested are three National Testing Agency (NTA) subject experts in chemistry (P.V. Kulkarni), biology (Manisha Gurunath Mandhare), and physics (Manisha Sanjay Havaldar).

Another key accused is Shivaraj Motegaonkar, a professor and owner of RCC Coaching Institute in Maharashtra’s Latur.

Several alleged intermediaries who sourced and distributed the leaked questions were also held. Tejas Harshadkumar Shah, physics faculty and chief operating officer at APMA Coaching Institute, Pune, was also arrested.

“Digital forensic analysis reports, handwriting expert opinions and academic experts’ opinions regarding leaked questions have been obtained. These reports confirmed the role of the accused in the circulation of leaked questions before the date of examination,” said the CBI. Further investigation is under way.

Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday (July 28, 2026) launched a sharp attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the appointment of Pralhad Joshi as Union Education Minister, describing him as a “defender of rapists” and “the most filthy type of man”.

Mr. Gandhi’s objections were over Mr. Joshi’s purported remarks after the release of convicts in the Bilkis Bano gang-rape case in 2022.

Speaking to reporters outside Parliament, Mr. Gandhi questioned the Prime Minister’s choice at a time when students across the country were protesting over the NEET-UG paper leak and the police were cracking down on demonstrators.

“The Education Minister of India — who, after all these young people were protesting about the education system and so many young girls were protesting and were beaten and thrashed- the BJP puts a man who is a defender of rapists. That is the most filthy type of man. There can be no filthier man than somebody who says that rapists need protection. That is the Education Minister of India today,” he said.

“It is strange. It’s a strange reaction from the Prime Minister. There are so many people in his Cabinet; he could have chosen any one of them. But he chooses a person who protects rapists. It’s quite amazing,” Mr. Gandhi added.

In a post on X later, Mr. Gandhi reiterated his criticism and alleged that Mr. Joshi’s appointment was “an insult to our education system” and to students, particularly young women.

Earlier, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra made a controversial remark about Mr. Joshi during the Lok Sabha debate on the anti-paper leak Bill. The comment drew protests from Treasury Bench members and was later expunged by Speaker Om Birla.

Dharmendra Pradhan’s exit as Education Minister has been under a cloud, but his five-year tenure was marked by a ramping up of efforts to implement the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which the Union Cabinet had accepted a year before he took charge. Earlier, at the Petroleum Ministry, he had made his mark on programme implementation by delivering eight crore LPG connections to poor households in three years against a four-year target.

From the National Curriculum Framework (NCF), flexible learning and multidisciplinarity, and the Vikshit Bharat Shiksha Abhiyan (VBSA) replacing the UGC in higher education, to PM SHRI, the three-language formula and new teacher-training initiatives in school education, his Ministry was constantly in the news introducing “reforms”. Common threads ran through them: performance evaluation and accountability, skilling-education convergence, promotion of a certain vision of Indianness, ambition undercut by implementation challenges, and a push for uniformity that critics called centralisation and a disregard for diversity. Almost all remain works-in-progress that the new Education Minister will have to carry forward.

Through Nipun Bharat, formally launched by Mr. Pradhan’s predecessor on the heels of pandemic-era learning losses, the government was finally acting on decades of evidence from surveys by voluntary organisations that India’s schoolchildren were lagging far behind in reading and mathematics despite formally graduating year after year. It seeks to ensure every child attains foundational literacy and numeracy by the end of Grade 3, by 2026-27. ASER 2024 showed a seven-percentage-point gain in numeracy since 2018, and PARAKH 2024 found Grade 3 students who benefited from the mission’s first three years outperforming Grades 6 and 9 in language and math. Yet fewer than a quarter of students nationally could read a Grade 2 text, and Grade 5 levels remained roughly where they were pre-pandemic — a sign of implementation gaps that may well necessitate a Nipun Bharat 2.0.

The National Professional Standards for Teachers (NPST) is India’s first initiative to assess and classify teachers — as proficient, expert or advanced — against uniform national standards, with career progression tied to this ladder. The National Mentoring Mission (NMM), meant to identify mentor teachers to guide others up this ladder through nomination and volunteering, is being rolled out with online sessions, but awareness among the country’s one crore teachers remains low and impact assessments are yet to be formalised. The NPST itself has not been rolled out, leaving teachers little incentive to engage with the mentoring sessions.

Some initiatives drew sharper controversy. The 2025 draft UGC regulations on appointing teachers, vice-chancellors and staff faced strong opposition — notably for giving Governors a decisive say in vice-chancellor appointments and for removing the cap on contractual professorships. Separately, the UGC’s new undergraduate and postgraduate degree rules, built around flexibility and multidisciplinarity to create a skilled workforce, have been formally in force since the 2025 academic year — but institutions across States are still barely grasping radical concepts such as a commerce student studying science, or transferring credits across colleges via the National Credit Framework.

An example of education-skilling convergence is the Swayam Plus platform that offers over 500 industry-developed courses across 15 sectors, including emerging technologies. R. Sarathi, Dean (Planning), IIT Madras and Coordinator, Swayam Plus, says some 6.5 lakh students are registered and the “AI for All” initiative with courses such as AI for Physics, AI for Chemistry, AI in Accounting, AI for Educators, and AI/ML using Python have draw one lakh participants. Prof. Sarathi is seeing encouraging response from education institutions accepting industry credits that these courses bring.

Mr. Pradhan also pushed to steamroll NEP adoption — particularly the three-language policy — by tying Central funding for primary education schemes to compliance. Tamil Nadu remains a holdout, though West Bengal’s new government has accepted it. In CBSE schools, Mr. Pradhan directly mandated the learning of two Bharatiya languages from Classes 6 to 12, prioritising Indian languages over English. Some relief has been granted to current students, but the government has held firm on this as the norm going forward — even though NEP, in the same breath as it champions Indian languages, also emphasises the learning of English and other foreign languages.

Students and several youths gathered at Freedom Park to celebrate the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Sunday. As cheers and slogans criticising the Union government rang the air, they insisted that the movement for education reforms was far from over.

People celebrating as Dharmendra Pradhan stepped down as Union Education Minister, at Freedom Park in Bengaluru on Sunday.
| Photo Credit:
SUDHAKARA JAIN

Despite the celebratory mood, speakers and demonstrators stressed that their demands extended beyond a single resignation and called for transparent and honest processes going forward.

A large number of students and youths celebrating the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, at Freedom Park in Bengaluru on Sunday.
| Photo Credit:
SUDHAKARA JAIN

Senior medical professional Ramesh Bellamkonda said, “This [the Minister’s resignation] is a small victory in a big battle,” urging students to continue pressing for systemic reforms.

Ashutosh, a demonstrator, said the protests had shown that the young people could make their voices heard. “It looks like we have made sure that the government knows that they cannot mess with the youth. If we want something as a nation, we will get it.”

Anahita, another demonstrator, described the resignation as an important milestone rather than the end of the movement. “It is just one step in the right direction, but it is not over. We have reached a point where the momentum needs to keep going to make a bigger difference,” she said.

The gathering was organised by the All India Students’ Association, several of whose leaders also sat on a hunger strike at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi.

A social media post of Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Sarangi’s daughter Archita Sachin Rahar allegedly celebrating the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan as the Union Education Minister has sparked resentment in the party rank and file in Odisha.

Ms. Rahar, in an Instagram post which had a photograph of Mr. Pradhan in the backdrop of the national flag, wrote, “Dharmendra Pradhan resigns amid massive student protests over NEET leak fiasco.” State BJP leaders, including her mother, on the other hand, expressed sympathy for Mr. Pradhan.

Ms. Sarangi, a two-time MP from Bhubaneswar, was, however, unavailable for comment. Sources said the lawmaker had asked her daughter to remove the post after getting a phone call from Mr. Pradhan’s office. However, it failed to have an impact.

BJP leaders criticised Ms. Rahar over her post. Jagannath Pradhan, a BJP leader, said, “Mr. Pradhan is son of the soil. His resignation has hurt us. Odias have welcomed the daughter of Bihar [Aparajita] and made her MP twice.”

“Ms. Sarangi should have control over her family members. She should tender an apology to Odisha for her daughter making adverse remarks against Mr. Pradhan,” he added.

Newly appointed Union Education Minister Prahlad Joshi has taken charge, officials said on Sunday (July 26, 2026).

Mr. Joshi was appointed as Education Minister after Dharmendra Pradhan resigned from the post on Saturday (July 25, 2026).

Mr. Pradhan resigned from his post on Saturday (July 25), following the Cockroach Janta Party-led student protests across the country, demanding his ouster over the NEET paper leak controversy.

The President of India directed on Saturday (July 25) that Pralhad Joshi, Cabinet Minister, be assigned the charge of the Ministry of Education, in addition to his existing portfolio, as advised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, an official statement said.

Mr. Joshi currently holds the portfolios of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, and New and Renewable Energy.

The President, as advised by the Prime Minister, has accepted the resignation of Shri Dharmendra Pradhan from the Union Council of Ministers, with immediate effect, under clause (2) of Article 75 of the Constitution of India, the statement added.

Former J&K Chief Minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday (July 25, 2026) congratulated the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) for its “success” and said it has managed to “reclaim Mahatma Gandhi’s idea of India”. 

“For more than a month, these youths were out without food. They adopted a Gandhian style. The biggest success is that these youths reclaimed Gandhi’s idea of India. They have rejected and dismissed divisive politics, especially Hindu-Muslim politics. It has given hope, otherwise amid a sense of dejection. It seems the future of India is in safe hands,” said Ms. Mufti.

She praised the CJP for allowing her to speak at the Jantar Mantar recently and backed its demands for compensation to the families of students who ended their lives and an apology for the atrocities allegedly committed on the youth by the Delhi police.

“We were warmly welcomed despite the narrative of Kashmiris being separatists and anti-nationals. It was heartening to see that this generation puts more focus on the future of the country than the Hindu-Muslim divide. I am hopeful what J&K students faced outside will also stop now,” said Ms. Mufti.

She said what started in Kashmir is now reaching every corner of India. “Peaceful protests silenced with lathis. Constitutional promises broken. Institutions weakened. Today, minority rights are under threat. Tomorrow, no citizen’s voice or vote will matter. The unity seen at Jantar Mantar is the real backbone of this nation. This isn’t just a struggle for one community; it is a fight to save humanity, democracy, and the soul of India,” said Ms. Mufti.

Ms. Mufti also raised the issue of Muslim women, saying these women were facing “harassment for wearing a burqa or hijab.“ You cannot praise Islamic heritage and culture on visits abroad while turning a blind eye to the harassment of Muslim women at home. True empowerment isn’t a slogan for foreign trips. It is guaranteeing safety, dignity, and religious freedom for every woman in India,” she added.

The primary reason behind Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation on Saturday (July 25, 2026) was not security concerns, but the erosion of the ruling party’s political capital caused by the burgeoning, organic crowds at Jantar Mantar, government sources told The Hindu.

The continuous sit-in by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which started on June 13, was called off on Saturday (July 25, 2026) after the government accepted its demands, including withdrawal of criminal cases against protesters.

Taking cue from the July 20 march to Parliament, during which several unarmed protesters were beaten up by the police, the Union government had made elaborate security arrangements for the next few days to contain the crowd at Jantar Mantar, the protest site in the heart of Delhi.

An analysis of the social media chatter, which was found to have unsavoury remarks, particularly against the Prime Minister, after videos of police excesses on students and young people surfaced, also played a role in government conceding to the CJP’s demands, the foremost being Mr. Pradhan’s resignation.

Diverse crowd

“The police were underprepared on July 20 as the crowd, which reached the protest site following a call given by the CJP, was much beyond the initial estimate. However, there was little concern that the protests could lead to a Nepal- or Bangladesh-like situation, as the crowds were largely organic and socially diverse. Some unruly elements were mixed in the crowd, but the police had taken adequate measures post-July 20,” said a government source.

At least eight Internet shutdown orders were issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) between July 20 and July 25, blocking communication in a radius of 1.5 km around Jantar Mantar.

An Internet ban was imposed briefly on July 18, too, when activist Sonam Wangchuk, who had been on a hunger strike for more than 20 days, was forcibly removed from Jantar Mantar to Safdarjung Hospital by the police.

“The police were prepared to hold and manage the crowd at Jantar Mantar for the next few days, coinciding with the ongoing session of the Parliament. The gathering was largely peaceful, and the possibility of unruly elements wanting to take advantage of the situation is always there,” said another government source.

Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda said on Saturday (July 25, 2026) that the CJP delegation submitted a written proposal covering cases related to the agitation along with its five-point charter.

“The government assured the team that no action will be taken against the organisers and protesters, and no new cases will be registered in connection with the agitation. It also expressed condolences to the families of the students who lost their lives and assured them of the highest possible compensation as per the rules,” Mr. Nadda said, adding that discussions will continue with the delegation. This was Mr. Nadda’s third meeting with the delegation.

For a first information report (FIR) to be cancelled, the Delhi Police will have to withdraw the case and send a report to the court saying that it no longer wishes to pursue the case.

The Opposition’s demand for Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation continued to stall proceedings of the Monsoon Session of Parliament for the fourth day in a row on Thursday (July 23, 2026).

In the Rajya Sabha, Leader of the Opposition and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the Education Minister has to resign, while Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju reiterated the government’s commitment to hold a comprehensive discussion on the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) paper leak issue. The Minister said the Opposition can decide the date and duration of the debate. 

Also read: Parliament monsoon session day 4 highlights on July 23, 2026

Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, accompanied by Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Trinamool Congress leaders Saugata Roy and Mahua Moitra, met Speaker Om Birla to resolve the deadlock.

The Rajya Sabha functioned for less than 10 minutes in the morning before being adjourned twice amid the impasse. Soon after the House assembled, Mr. Rijiju said the government was ready to discuss the NEET issue “today itself” and urged the Opposition not to attach conditions to the debate.

Mr. Kharge, however, insisted that Mr. Pradhan must resign before any discussion could begin. Referring to the police action against student protesters, he said many students were in hospital and their parents were deeply disturbed. “Until he [Mr. Pradhan] resigns, discussion will not start,” he said. Amid sloganeering by both sides, Chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan adjourned the House till noon and later till 2 p.m.

Leader of the House J.P. Nadda termed the Opposition’s conduct “highly irresponsible”. “They don’t want any discussion and won’t let the House function either. First, they wanted us to discuss the paper leak, and the government said we would discuss NEET and all other issues,” he said.

The disruption continued when the House reassembled at 2 p.m. Deputy Chairman Harivansh appealed to members to at least take up the listed Bills, but adjourned the House till 3 p.m. after barely two minutes. When proceedings resumed, he invited Mr. Kharge to speak in an effort to break the impasse. As the Congress president began reading from a written note, Mr. Rijiju objected, saying the government was willing to hold a discussion but the Opposition was not. The House was then adjourned for the day.

The Lok Sabha too witnessed repeated disruptions over the demand for a discussion on the NEET paper leak issue and Mr. Pradhan’s resignation. 

The Speaker appealed to members to allow Question Hour, assuring them that the government were prepared to discuss every issue thereafter.

“The Question Hour is the most important. After Question Hour, the House is ready to discuss every issue. I will speak to the government, and the government is also ready for discussions. I appeal to all members to participate in the discussion after the Question Hour,” Mr. Birla said.

However, Opposition members continued raising slogans, forcing repeated adjournments. When the House reassembled at noon, members again trooped into the well, displaying placards. Presiding Officer Dileep Saikia urged them to return to their seats, saying it was not right to disrupt proceedings.

Mr. Rijiju accused the Opposition of attaching preconditions and trying to avoid a debate on the issue. He said the government was prepared for a comprehensive discussion and wanted to place its position before the House as well.

He said Opposition members could speak for as long as they wished and the debate could continue for even two days. The government, he added, was willing to let the Opposition decide the date and duration of the discussion and had already approached the Congress and other Opposition parties to evolve a consensus. 

But as protests continued, the House was adjourned again within minutes.

When the House met again at 2 p.m., the protests resumed, prompting Mr. Saikia to adjourn it for the day.