27 July,2026 06:53 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Congress members address the media in Mumbai on Tuesday. PIC/X
The Maharashtra Congress on Monday demanded the resignation of School Education Minister Dada Bhuse over the alleged Teachers Eligibility Test (TET) paper leak, accusing the state government of failing to safeguard the education system, news agency PTI reported.
The Maharashtra Pradesh National Students' Union of India (NSUI), the student wing of the Congress, also alleged irregularities in the Common Entrance Test (CET) and criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Mahayuti government over its handling of education.
"Due to the incompetence of the BJP-led government, lakhs of students and their parents have suffered immense distress, and their dreams have been shattered. However, Education Minister Dada Bhuse has not accepted responsibility for this failure," Maharashtra Pradesh NSUI president Sagar Salunkhe said.
The demand for Bhuse's resignation comes two days after Dharmendra Pradhan stepped down as the Union Education Minister over the NEET paper leak row.
Mumbai Youth Congress President Zeenat Shabreen warned that if Bhuse does not accept responsibility and resign within the next seven days, Congress student organisations, along with like-minded parties and groups, will intensify their agitation across Maharashtra.
Salunkhe alleged that the state's education system has collapsed, claiming the BJP-Mahayuti government has turned education from a public service into a profit-making enterprise.
He said teachers have been assigned Booth Level Officer (BLO) duties, resulting in neglect of schools and adversely affecting students' education.
According to Salunkhe, the excessive workload has also taken a toll on teachers' mental health. He cited the death of a teacher in Mumbai, alleging it was linked to work-related stress.
He further claimed that the School Education Department, Higher and Technical Education Department, and Medical Education Department are plagued by administrative chaos.
Salunkhe alleged that tribal students in Nandurbar district are being defrauded and forced to pay thousands of rupees, while fake nursing colleges are proliferating across the state.
He also alleged that students at CEOP College in Pune are charged Rs 81,000 as development fee, Rs 22,000 as laboratory fee, and Rs 17,000 as tuition fee.
The NSUI leader accused Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil of allowing students to be exploited through excessive fees.
He further alleged that the education sector in the state has been turned into a business focused on generating revenue.
(With PTI inputs)
