‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’: Rahul Gandhi interacts with grieving father in Dehradun whose daughter died by suicide over NEET paper leak

Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], July 17 (ANI): As part of his 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' initiative, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi here on Friday interacted with a man whose daughter allegedly died by suicide after the NEET paper leak last May.
At the 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' programme held at the Bannu School Ground in Dehradun, the deceased's father expressed his grief, saying that it has become impossible for him to live without his daughter. He also urged the Leader of the Opposition to raise the issue in Parliament so that nobody else goes through such pain.
"My daughter came home happy on May 3. I asked her about the exam. She was very happy, but when the news of the paper leak broke, she showed it to me on her mobile. I dismissed the report as false, but she insisted that the paper had indeed been leaked. I repeatedly told her not to worry, but she was upset with the NTA. What happened to my daughter, I wouldn't want that to happen to anyone else. Please raise this issue in Parliament so that no one else has to face this. I cannot go on living without my daughter," he told Rahul Gandhi.
The NEET-UG 2026 paper was conducted on May 3 and was cancelled by the National Testing Agency (NTA) on May 12 over paper leak allegations. The re-exam was conducted on June 21.
Speaking at the 'Chhatron ki Goonj' campaign in Dehradun, Gandhi claimed that over the last decade, at least 7.5 crore young students have suffered due to paper leaks. He criticised the education system, alleging that high technology is being used in the country to facilitate exam paper leaks. Papers can be obtained if one has "crores of rupees," he alleged.
"High technology is being used in India to facilitate exam paper leaks. You can find these papers on the internet, on Telegram or Signal, if you have crores of rupees. This is the state of India's education system. The incidents of paper leaks are increasing. Over the last 10 years, 7.5 crore young people have suffered due to paper leaks," he said.
Further, the Congress MP slammed the Centre, saying that no one has been punished even after "152 paper leak" incidents in the past decade. He added that the actual number of the leaked papers can be much higher.
"There have been 152 leaks, meaning, on average, one paper leaks every month for the past decade. Yet, the reality is that the conviction rate is zero. Not a single person has gone to jail or been punished in connection with these cases. It represents merely the 10% tip of the iceberg. The truth is, we do not know the actual number of leaks because we do not know how many go undetected," he said.
"This is a central issue concerning the future of India's youth. It is an insult to you and your parents; it is an insult to your hard work and dedication," he said, addressing students.
Gandhi had launched the nationwide 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' campaign from Rajasthan's Kota through a 'Maha Rally' on June 17 to highlight issues faced by students, including examination irregularities and broader challenges confronting India's education system. (ANI)