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Students told to fete ‘NEET Champions’ amid paper leak protests; triggers backlash
The emails feature individual posters of NEET-UG 2026 qualifiers hailing from rural and economically disadvantaged groups highlighting their personal journeys.
New Delhi: The Union education ministry has sent emails to thousands of students enrolled in central universities — including Delhi University, Jawaharlal Nehru University and Jamia Millia Islamia — asking them to “join in congratulating our NEET Champions” by sharing posters of successful NEET-UG 2026 aspirants. Students and teachers, however, questioned the timing of the outreach, with some describing it as “systemic propaganda” at a time when protests over examination irregularities and paper leaks are continuing in various parts of the country.
The emails, sent through the ministry’s Samarth e-governance platform under the subject line — “Let’s Join in Congratulating our NEET Champions” — feature individual posters of NEET-UG 2026 qualifiers mostly hailing from rural and economically disadvantaged groups highlighting their personal journeys, family backgrounds and inspirational messages. HT has seen the contents of the mails sent on Wednesday and Thursday.
The education ministry did not respond to HT’s request for a comment on the development.
“I received the email at 11.37 pm on July 22, and I was shocked as to why the ministry of education would mail me... The email is on NEET, which isn’t directly related to me or the course I am pursuing right now,” said a fourth-year Bachelor of Arts student at Delhi University, declining to be named. “I know that they have our emails, but using them at the time of the ongoing protest feels like a misuse of students’ data.”
A master’s student at Jamia said the outreach appeared unprecedented.
“It is my fifth year studying at a Central university under the Union ministry of education, and I had never received emails about university toppers before... Why only in 2026? It feels like part of a script to project that everything is normal,” the student said, requesting anonymity.
Puranjai, a PhD scholar at JNU and student activist with the Democratic Students’ Federation, said he received the email at 1.01 pm on July 22.
“I don’t recall receiving such emails before. The urgent mailing of such content must be seen in alignment with the mailing to several influencers requesting them to highlight the achievements of the government and de-legitimise the protests. It is to counter the anger and frustration of the youth. By shifting attention away from protests towards the government’s so-called achievements, it is trying to build legitimacy for its rule,” he said, referring to the ongoing students protests at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi and across various cities.
The ministry sent different recipients posters featuring different NEET qualifiers, including Pola Ram (AIR 1,041) from Barmer, Rajasthan, describing his journey from a family of labourers. Another featured Sunil Lohar (OBC AIR 5,680) from Sikar, Rajasthan, who was described as helping his father in scrap collection while preparing for the examination. Each poster carried the branding “NEET Champions 2026” along with motivational messages centred on perseverance and family support.
Launched in 2019, Samarth is the education ministry’s e-governance platform for higher education institutions, integrating academic, administrative and financial services.
Teachers’ bodies also criticised the outreach, questioning the decision to circulate congratulatory emails at a time when the examination system is facing scrutiny. Prof Pankaj Garg, chairman of the Indian National Teachers’ Congress (INTEC), termed the campaign “astonishingly tone-deaf.”
“At a time when the country’s examination system has repeatedly been shaken by paper leak allegations, administrative failures and a deep erosion of public trust, the government should be restoring credibility instead of celebrating itself,” Garg said.
Rudrashish Chakraborty, associate professor at Kirori Mal College and treasurer of the Delhi Teachers’ Front (DTF), linked the emails to what he described as the administration’s “anti-student stance”. He said the outreach reflected the university administration’s alignment with the Centre rather than students’ concerns.
In two X posts between Tuesday and Thursday, Delhi University extended its support to the Centre amid the ongoing youth protests, asking students to focus on their studies.
The emails come amid protests demanding Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation over alleged examination irregularities including in NEET-UG 2026. The NTA announced the June 21 NEET-UG re-examination results on July 16 after cancelling the original May 3 test over an alleged paper leak. CBI has arrested 13 people in the case.
