Midnight Modi Video, Top Bureaucrat Shift Fuel Fresh Questions Over Paper Leak Crisis
Former Jammu and Kashmir CM Mehbooba Mufti at CJP protest at Jantar Mantar (Image CJP on X)
By KUMAR VIKRAM
As PM Narendra Modi released a rare late-night video promising stringent action against paper leaks, Congress leader P. Chidambaram questioned the concentration of key education posts under one officer, while the CJP renewed its demand for Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation.
New Delhi, July 24, 2026 — Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rare video message released around 12.30 a.m. promising stringent action against examination paper leaks has intensified political debate rather than settling it, with the Opposition and the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) focusing on accountability at the top of the education establishment.
Ahead of the Prime Minister’s assurance that the Union Cabinet would consider stringent legal measures against paper leaks, the Centre reshuffled the top bureaucracy in the education sector, triggering fresh political scrutiny.
Former Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram questioned why IAS officer Vineet Joshi had been entrusted with multiple key positions simultaneously before his transfer.
In a post on X, Chidambaram wrote: “Why was Mr Vineet Joshi holding five crucial posts before his transfer?”
He listed the positions:
- Secretary, Department of Higher Education
- Secretary, Department of School Education
- Chairman, University Grants Commission (UGC)
- Chairman, Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE)
- Chairman, National Testing Agency (NTA)
“One Minister, One Secretary/Chairman!” Chidambaram remarked, adding that even if some assignments were held in an acting capacity, the government could have distributed responsibilities instead of concentrating them in one individual.
The criticism comes as the Centre appointed senior IAS officer Naresh Pal Gangwar as the new Secretary of the Department of Higher Education.
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The appointment has itself generated discussion on social media because Gangwar had earlier faced controversy after reports that his wife, son and mother received subsidies amounting to about ₹1.16 crore under a scheme administered by a board functioning under his department while he served as Secretary in the Ministry of Animal Husbandry and Dairying. There has been no official suggestion that the present appointment is linked to those allegations.
The bureaucratic reshuffle coincided with the Prime Minister’s unusually timed video message, in which Modi emphasised that safeguarding the future of students was the government’s highest priority and promised stronger legal provisions and fast-track courts to deal with paper leak cases.
Political observers note that the timing of the message—well past midnight—was unusual for the Prime Minister and appeared intended to reassure students amid escalating nationwide protests.
However, protest leaders remain unconvinced.
Addressing demonstrators, CJP national spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka argued that the government’s latest moves reflected growing political pressure generated by the protest movement.
“They are now afraid because of all of you,” Ranka told protesters.
“You may not be aware, but PM Modi released a video at 12.30 in the night. This is perhaps the first time he has released a video so late. He says the government is serious about the youth and will take strict action. If Modiji truly wants to take strict action, then he should sack Dharmendra Pradhan immediately. We will accept nothing less,” he said.
The remarks underscore the widening gap between the government’s institutional response and the protesters’ political demands.
While the Centre has focused on promising legislative reforms, fast-track courts and administrative restructuring, the CJP continues to insist that accountability must begin with the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
The divergence has become central to the ongoing agitation. For the government, the emphasis remains on systemic reforms and criminal action against paper leak networks. For protest leaders, the issue has evolved into one of ministerial responsibility.
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