Rahul slams NTA as Nagpur student is assigned to Abu Dhabi for NEET re-test

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday criticised the Modi government after a NEET-UG aspirant from Nagpur was reportedly allotted an examination centre in Abu Dhabi for the re-test, saying authorities should "stop gambling" with the future of students.

The controversy emerged after the family of a candidate from Nagpur claimed that he had been assigned a school in Abu Dhabi as his examination centre for the NEET-UG re-examination scheduled for 21 June.

Responding to the issue, the National Testing Agency (NTA) said the grievance was being addressed and that, following verification, the student would be allotted a centre in Nagpur within the next few hours.

In a post in Hindi on X, Gandhi highlighted the stress faced by the student and questioned how such an error could occur. "A child from Nagpur had been preparing for the NEET re-exam for a month. He downloaded his admit card just a day before the exam. His assigned centre was in Abu Dhabi. He has no passport, his family lacks the funds to send him abroad, and there is no time left. He wept all night and is refusing to take the exam — can one even imagine the level of stress involved?" Gandhi wrote.

The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said the incident reflected deeper problems within the examination system. "How did this even happen? No student should have to face the issue of being unable to reach their exam centre. In reality, the NTA is merely testing the patience of the country's students and their parents," he said.

Gandhi further argued that an examination authority unable to allot a candidate a centre in their own city lacked the credibility to conduct national-level examinations. "A system that cannot provide a student with a centre in their own city — and instead assigns one abroad — has no right to conduct examinations," he said.

Referring to his recent interaction with students in Kota, Rajasthan, Gandhi reiterated his criticism of the country's education system. "This is exactly what I said in Kota: this is no longer an education system. It is the exploitation of an entire generation's money, time, and mental peace," he said. "Stop gambling with our children's future. They deserve a sensitive, responsible, and accountable education and examination system — and we will ensure they get it."

The remarks come days after Gandhi launched a signature campaign focusing on issues affecting students, including paper leaks, rising educational costs and examination-related stress. The initiative was announced a day after he interacted with students at a convention in Kota, the country's examination coaching hub.

During the interaction, Gandhi described India's education system as a "rejection system" rather than a selection system, alleging that it imposes an excessive financial burden and psychological stress on students and middle-class families. He also termed the existing structure "extremely stressful and unfair".

The controversy unfolds against the backdrop of the NEET-UG crisis, which led to the cancellation of the original 3 May examination following allegations of a paper leak. The Centre subsequently handed over the investigation to the CBI and ordered a fresh examination for candidates across the country.

With PTI inputs