New Delhi [India], May 22 (ANI): CPI leader Annie Raja on Friday expressed shock over recent remarks made by the National Testing Agency (NTA) Director General regarding the cancelled NEET-UG examination, saying the issue was being treated too casually.

Speaking to ANI, Annie Raja questioned the seriousness of the NTA chief's response and demanded his immediate removal over both the paper leak controversy and his remarks on the matter.

'It is very shocking to see that he is taking this very serious issue very lightly... Does he think that the people of this country are fools? He should be sacked immediately not just for the paper leak but also for making such non-serious statements,' said Annie Raja.

Raja's remarks come amid ongoing political debate over the NEET-UG 2026 examination, after NTA officials informed the Parliamentary Standing Committee that the paper was not leaked in full and that only certain questions had surfaced prior to the exam, as per the sources.

According to sources, NTA DG Abhishek Singh and Higher Education Secretary Vineet Joshi told the committee that several reforms recommended for strengthening the examination system had already been implemented, while work on the remaining measures was ongoing.

Officials maintained that the alleged leak did not originate from the NTA system and said the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is probing the circulation of leaked questions that led to the cancellation of the examination, as per the sources.

They also defended the cancellation under the agency's 'zero-tolerance' policy, stating that even limited compromise of questions could undermine public trust in competitive examinations.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee also reviewed measures being taken to prevent similar incidents in the future and discussed proposals to shift NEET-UG to a computer-based testing format from next year.

Political tensions continue over the NEET-UG 2026 controversy, which led to the cancellation of the examination held on May 3 across 551 cities in India and 14 international centres, with over 22 lakh candidates appearing.

The re-examination is scheduled for June 21 under enhanced security measures mandated by the Union Education Ministry. (ANI)