NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday criticised the Modi government after a NEET-UG aspirant from Nagpur was allotted Abu Dhabi as the examination centre for the re-test, saying the authorities should “stop gambling” with the future of children.Responding to the issue, the National Testing Agency (NTA) said the grievance is being looked into and that, after due verification, the candidate will be allotted a centre in Nagpur within the next few hours.In a Hin post on X, Gandhi wrote, “A student 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?” “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,”Gandhi said.Gandhi asserted that a system which fails to allot a student an examination centre in their own city and instead assigns one abroad has no right to conduct exams, news agency PTI reported.He further stated, “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.”Gandhi launched a signature campaign to highlight issues concerning the country’s education system on Thursday. The campaign includes paper leaks and high fees, etc.He described the campaign as a platform through which students can directly place their demands before the government. His call for participation came a day after he interacted with students at a convention in Kota, Rajasthan.During the interaction, he termed India’s education system a “rejection system” rather than a selection system. He alleged that the system imposes a heavy financial burden and causes intense stress for students and middle-class families.Addressing the gathering in Kota, a hub for coaching centres, Gandhi said the present education framework is “extremely stressful and unfair”.The NTA had earlier cancelled the NEET-UG 2026 examination scheduled on May 3 following allegations of a paper leak. The government then directed the CBI to conduct a thorough investigation into the matter.(With agency inputs)
