Question Paper Leaks Spark National Outcry, Kerala Minister Calls for Protest

Standing before a packed room of reporters in Kannur on Sunday, Kerala’s minister for electricity, Sunny Joseph, let out a sigh that sounded part exasperation, part warning. ‘We are dealing with a national crisis,’ he said, gesturing toward the headlines that have been splashing across screens for weeks.

According to the minister, more than 152 instances of question‑paper leaks have been logged across the country, affecting roughly 7.5 crore aspirants. He even claimed that the NEET‑UG paper was once sold for a staggering ₹40 lakh – a figure that, if true, is enough to make any student’s heart skip a beat. The scandal, he added, has already driven several desperate candidates to the brink, some even taking their own lives.

Joseph didn’t mince words when he blamed the Union government for what he called a ‘failure to bring the culprits to justice.’ In his view, the lack of swift action has turned a series of isolated blunders into a systemic problem. The Congress, he noted, has already demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Adding a political flavour to the mix, the minister announced that the Congress – together with its youth and student wings – will stage a large‑scale protest in front of Lok Bhavan on August 1. The rally is being positioned as part of a broader, nation‑wide campaign spearheaded by Rahul Gandhi to root out examination malpractice.

But the drama isn’t confined to the national stage. Joseph hinted that Kerala itself is not immune, pointing to alleged irregularities in recruitment exams conducted by the Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC). He took a jab at the opposition, accusing them of objecting to the state government’s decision to probe these claims.

On a completely different note, the minister fielded questions about the state’s power situation during the ongoing World Cup telecast. He reassured the audience that arrangements to ensure an uninterrupted electricity supply were solid, blaming the current shortfall on reduced rainfall and insufficient daytime storage – not on any recent political shuffle or his own performance.

As the clock ticks toward August 1, students, parents, and political observers alike will be watching to see whether the planned protest can shake the establishment enough to bring real reform – or whether it will simply add another page to the long list of protest‑parades that pepper India’s democratic calendar.