New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday renewed his long-running attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s educational credentials, using the disruption of the Common University Entrance Test-Undergraduate (CUET-UG) 2026 as fresh ammunition.
Sharing a post by his party colleague Atishi, who had targeted Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the delay, Kejriwal posted a line: “The country needs an educated PM.”
The National Testing Agency, which conducts the CUET, attributed the day’s disruption to a technical glitch at its technology partner, Tata Consultancy Services. The morning session was delayed by up to two hours at centres across multiple states. The NTA revised the afternoon shift accordingly, moving the reporting time to 2:30 pm and the exam start to 4 pm. “NTA sincerely regrets the inconvenience caused to students and parents,” the agency said.
Series of controversies
This disruption is the latest in a series of examination controversies that have put the NTA, Pradhan, and the Modi government under sustained political fire.
NEET-UG 2026, held on May 3, was cancelled after widespread allegations of paper leaks. The government ordered a CBI probe and scheduled a re-examination for over 22 lakh aspirants on June 21.
The Staff Selection Commission’s GD Constable Exam 2026 was separately marred by server crashes, seating miscalculation, and the busting of a cheating racket by the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force in Greater Noida.
Atishi framed the CUET delay as part of the same pattern: “First NEET, then CBSE, now CUET,” she said on X. Congress MP and Leader of Opposition
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi listed all four — NEET, CBSE, SSC, and CUET — saying: “Four exams. One crore children. Not a single one conducted with honesty.” The Leader of Opposition directly blamed Modi for “ruining” the education system.
Pradhan has said he takes “full responsibility” for the CBSE discrepancies and has assured a seamless NEET retest. The government has said PM Modi is “personally supervising” it.
As for the CUET, introduced in 2022 under the National Education Policy, this is the national-level entrance exam for undergraduate admissions across central, state, and some private universities. It is conducted in multiple shifts over several days — this year’s cycle runs May 11 to 31.
Kejriwal and degree
Arvind Kejriwal’s remark was in line with his continued insistence on questioning PM Modi’s degrees. Kejriwal has said in the past: “Shouldn’t the Prime Minister of a great nation like India be educated? A private company asks for an MBA, MA and BA degree for a manager’s job.”
PM Modi, whose rise from a humble background is well-documented, has a bachelor’s degree as per Delhi University, plus a master’s according to Gujarat University.
Yet, there’s been a years-long effort by Kejriwal, a former revenue official witha degree from IIT, and his party to seek disclosure of Modi’s academic credentials through the Right to Information route. Modi’s 2014 election affidavit had also declared a BA from Delhi University and an MA from Gujarat University.
In May 2016, the then BJP president Amit Shah and the then minister Arun Jaitley jointly released Modi’s degree certificates at a press conference. The documents showed PM Modi completed his BA through correspondence from Delhi University in 1978, and MA in Political Science from Gujarat University in 1983. Gujarat University’s Vice Chancellor separately confirmed Modi’s MA score, 62.3%, after a direction from the Central Information Commission.
The RTI litigation seeking public disclosure of the BA degree has made limited progress in court. Last year, a single-judge bench of the Delhi High Court set aside the 2016 CIC order that had directed Delhi University to disclose the records. The court ruled that academic credentials are personal information.
Appeals by RTI activist Neeraj Kumar and AAP MP Sanjay Singh are pending before a division bench of the HC. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for Delhi University, has told the court that there was “nothing in the matter”.
