Shillong : Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) Chairman In-charge Social Media, Langkupar War, on Thursday said Meghalaya is bearing a disproportionate burden of India’s growing education crisis, with national failures in examinations and funding affecting students in the state more severely than elsewhere.
Addressing the ongoing controversy surrounding NEET-UG 2026, War described the issue as “a symptom, not the disease,” arguing that deeper structural problems continue to undermine the country’s education system.
According to War, 4,164 students from Meghalaya were forced to reappear for the NEET examination across 14 centres following the cancellation and re-conduct of the test. He said the episode exposed significant weaknesses in the examination system and further eroded public confidence.
“NEET decides who becomes a doctor. When the integrity of the examination is compromised, trust in the entire system is shaken,” he said.
The Congress leader criticized the National Testing Agency (NTA), pointing to a series of controversies in recent years, including the NEET-UG 2024 paper leak, cancellation of UGC-NET 2024, rescheduling of CUET-UG 2026 and the re-test of UGC-NET 2026.
He also questioned the effectiveness of the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, stating that the continuation of examination irregularities demonstrates that legislation alone cannot address systemic weaknesses.
War further alleged that increasing centralisation in education has concentrated decision-making power while reducing accountability. He noted that education remains a shared responsibility between the Centre and the states, yet major entrance examinations such as NEET and CUET are controlled centrally.
Highlighting financial concerns, War said public expenditure on education remains below the National Education Policy (NEP) target of 6 percent of GDP. He argued that inadequate funding has forced families to spend heavily on private coaching and educational loans, making competitive examinations increasingly expensive for ordinary households.
The MPCC leader also expressed concern over the discontinuation of several scholarship programmes for minority students, claiming that economically weaker students, including those in Meghalaya, have been adversely affected.
Citing parliamentary data, he pointed out that over 8.46 lakh teaching posts remain vacant nationwide, contributing to larger classroom sizes, learning gaps and higher dropout rates, particularly in rural and tribal regions.
War warned that Meghalaya could face additional challenges when NEET transitions to a computer-based format from 2027. He noted that while a majority of schools nationally have access to computers and internet connectivity, Meghalaya continues to lag behind, placing rural and hill students at a disadvantage.
He also referred to education data showing significant dropout rates, thousands of single-teacher schools and limited access to quality learning infrastructure across the country.
Concluding his remarks, War said India’s education system has become overly dependent on examinations and coaching institutions while neglecting skill development and quality learning outcomes.
“Students are forced to compete intensely for limited opportunities and often emerge into a job market that offers too few openings,” he said.