Modi faces NEET and hospital scandals

Rahul Gandhi has tied two separate crises to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a widening attack on the federal government’s handling of education and public services. On May 16, the Congress leader demanded that Modi sack Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak, saying the prime minister should take responsibility if he does not. (indianexpress.com) At the same time, opposition parties in Rajasthan have kept pressure on authorities over a string of maternal deaths and complications in government hospitals in Kota. The two issues have moved on parallel tracks, but together they have given Modi’s opponents fresh material to question accountability in institutions overseen by BJP governments. ### Why has Rahul Gandhi put Modi directly at the center of the NEET row? (indianexpress.com) Rahul Gandhi said on May 16 that “22 lakh” students had been cheated by the NEET-UG 2026 leak and called on Modi to remove Pradhan immediately. Gandhi said that if the minister was not sacked, the prime minister should “take responsibility” himself. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also demanded Pradhan’s resignation, according to The Hindu, framing the leak as part of a broader pattern of examination failures. Gandhi alleged in a video statement that the paper had circulated on WhatsApp two days before the exam, though that allegation remains part of the political dispute around the case. (indianexpress.com) ### What do investigators say happened in the NEET-UG 2026 leak? The Central Bureau of Investigation has arrested nine accused so far in the NEET-UG 2026 case, according to Indian Express and Mint reports cited in recent coverage. The exam was held on May 3 and was later cancelled, with a retest scheduled for June 21. (indianexpress.com) Manisha Gurunath Mandhare, a botany teacher from Pune, was arrested on May 16 after investigators said she had served as an expert appointed by the National Testing Agency and had full access to Botany and Zoology papers. The CBI alleged that in April she coached prospective candidates at her Pune residence and disclosed questions that later matched the actual examination. (thehindu.com) Indian Express reported that Mandhare had worked at Pune’s Modern College of Arts, Science and Commerce since 2002 and was due to retire in seven months. Her college principal, Nivedita Ekbote, told the newspaper that the college was not involved in confidential paper-setting work handled directly between Mandhare and the NTA. (indianexpress.com) ### What has happened in Kota’s hospitals? Kota has reported at least four maternal deaths over roughly two weeks across two government hospitals, according to Indian Express reports published on May 12 and May 18. The latest death involved a five-month pregnant woman who had developed kidney-related complications after treatment in one of the hospitals and later suffered a miscarriage before dying on Sunday, the newspaper reported. (indianexpress.com) New Medical College Hospital first came under scrutiny after six women who underwent C-sections on May 4 developed serious complications, with two later dying. JK Lone Hospital then came under investigation after another woman, Pinky Mahawar, died following complications after a May 7 Caesarean delivery, and other women remained in critical condition. (indianexpress.com) ### What have hospital officials and the Rajasthan government said? Nilesh Jain, principal and controller of Kota Government Medical College and its associated hospitals, told Indian Express on May 12 that it was not yet clear what had caused the deaths. Families of some of the women have alleged negligence and delays in referral and treatment. (indianexpress.com) The Rajasthan health department has widened its investigation from New Medical College Hospital to JK Lone Hospital. Times of India reported earlier that one doctor was dismissed, another suspended and two nurses shifted out after a probe found protocol lapses, and the state health minister ordered a broader review. (indianexpress.com) ### What happens next in both cases? June 21 is the date set for the NEET-UG 2026 retest, according to Indian Express, after the May 3 examination was cancelled over the leak. In the criminal case, CBI custody and court proceedings for the arrested accused are continuing in Delhi as investigators pursue what they have described as a larger conspiracy. (indianexpress.com) In Kota, the Rajasthan health department’s expanded probe now covers both New Medical College Hospital and JK Lone Hospital. The next formal findings are expected to come through that state inquiry, while opposition leaders continue to demand accountability from hospital administrators and the BJP-led governments involved. (indianexpress.com 1) (indianexpress.com 2) (timesofindia.indiatimes.com)