‘Rakshak hi bhakshak ban gaye’: Pradhan on NEET paper leak case, takes responsibility for student suicides

UNion breeding government minister Dharmendra Pradhan said on tues that “protectors turned predators” o'er the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak out case, adding that teachers assigned responsibilities by the National Testing Agency (NTA) failed to carry out their duties properly. He also held himself accountable for the recent suicides of several NEET candidates.More than 2 million students seeking admission to medical courses took the re-examination on Sunday amid tight security measures, weeks after the NTA announced a re-test on May 15.The re-test announcement came after the agency received an email on May 8, which claimed the paper had been leaked and pointed out similarities between a circulated guess paper and the question paper used on May 3.Education minister on NEET paper leak caseSpeaking on the issues reported during the earlier examination, Pradhan said that some people who had been given responsibility did not perform their duties as expected.“NTA had placed its trust in certain teachers, but some of them did not fulfil their responsibility. Rakshak hi bhakshak ban gaye (the protectors themselves turned predators),” he told NDTV during an interview.Notably, three teachers, PV Kulkarni, Manisha Mandhare and Manisha Havaldar, were allegedly the main figures behind the leak of the chemistry, biology and physics question papers, respectively.While speaking about the re-examination, he said the government's main focus was to ensure that deserving students across the country received a fair and secure opportunity.He added, “The meritorious students of our country have done well, and they are going to score good marks.”Dharmendra Pradhan on student suicidesMore than 10 students have died by suicide in the past few weeks. Many were reportedly under stress following the paper leak controversy and in the lead-up to the re-test.Pradhan said said he considers himself accountable for these deaths. However, he accused the Congress party and Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi for “politicising” the matter.“As Education Minister, I curse myself every time there is a student suicide. We have to fix the broken system. But the way Congress and Rahul Gandhi used student suicides is low-level politics,” he told the media outlet.NEET paper leak caseThe Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is investigating the alleged leak, has arrested 13 people so far.On May 12, the NTA cancelled the NEET-UG examination that had been conducted on May 3 after allegations emerged that the paper had been leaked.DISCLAIMER: Discussing suicides can be triggering for some. However, suicides are preventable. If you need support or know someone who does, please reach out to your nearest mental health specialist. Helplines: Aasra: 022 2754 6669; Sneha India Foundation: +914424640050 and Sanjivini: 011-24311918, Roshni Foundation (Secundrabad) Contact Nos: 040-66202001, 040-66202000; ONE LIFE: Contact No: 78930 78930, SEVA: Contact No: 09441778290