NEW DELHI: The Union Education Ministry has sent out emails to thousands of students enrolled in central universities — including Delhi University, Jawaharlal Nehru University and Jamia Millia Islamia University — asking them to “join in felicitating our NEET heroes” by sharing posters of successful NEET-UG 2026 aspirants. However, students and teachers have questioned the timing of the awareness, with some calling it “systemic propaganda” at a time when protests over exam irregularities and paper leaks continue in Different parts of the country.
The emails, sent through the ministry’s e-governance platform Samarth under the subject line – ‘Let’s join in felicitating our NEET champions’ – contain individual posters of NEET-UG 2026 qualifiers mostly hailing from rural and economically deprived groups highlighting their personal journeys, family backgrounds and inspirational messages. HT has seen the contents of emails sent on Wednesday and Thursday.
The Ministry of Education did not respond to Hizb ut Tahrir’s request to comment on this development.
“I received the email at 11.37 pm on July 22, and I was shocked that the Ministry of Education sent me an email… The email is on NEET, and it is not directly related to me or the course I am pursuing now,” said a fourth-year Bachelor of Arts student at Delhi University, who declined to reveal his name. “I know they have our emails, but using them in a time of ongoing protest seems like a misuse of student data.”
One of the university’s master’s students said the communication seemed unprecedented.
The student, who requested to remain anonymous, said: “It is my fifth year studying at a central university affiliated with the Federal Ministry of Education, and I have never received emails about high achievers at the university before… Why only in 2026? It seems like part of a scenario to show that everything is normal.”
Burangay, a doctoral researcher at JNU and student activist with the Students Democratic Union, said he received the email at 1.01 pm on July 22.
“I do not recall receiving such emails before. The urgent sending of such content should be seen in keeping with the mailings to several influential people asking them to highlight the government’s achievements and delegitimise the protests. It is to counter the anger and frustration of the youth. By shifting attention away from the protests towards the government’s so-called achievements, it is trying to build legitimacy for its rule,” he said, referring to the ongoing student protests at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi and across various cities.
The ministry sent various posters to the recipients with different NEET qualifications, including Bhola Ram (AIR 1,041) from Barmer, Rajasthan, describing his journey from a family of labourers. Another featured Sunil Lohar (OBC AIR 5,680) from Sikar, Rajasthan, who is described as helping his father collect scraps while preparing for the exam. Each poster bears the ‘NEET Champions 2026’ branding along with motivational messages centered around perseverance and family support.
Launched in 2019, Samarth is the Ministry of Education’s e-governance platform for higher education institutions, which integrates academic, administrative and financial services.
Teachers’ bodies also criticized the campaign, questioning the decision to distribute congratulatory emails at a time when the exam system is facing scrutiny. Professor Pankaj Garg, president of the Indian National Teachers’ Congress (INTEC), described the campaign as “surprisingly tone-deaf”.
“At a time when the country’s examination system has been repeatedly rocked by allegations of paper leaks, administrative failures and a deep erosion of public trust, the government should restore its credibility rather than celebrate itself,” Garg said.
Rudrashish Chakraborty, assistant professor at Kirori Mal College and treasurer of Delhi Teachers’ Front, linked the emails to what he described as the “anti-student stance” of the administration. He said that the communication reflects the university administration’s alignment with the center and not the interests of the students.
In two X posts between Tuesday and Thursday, Delhi University extended its support to the center amid the ongoing youth protests, and asked students to focus on their studies.
The emails come amid protests demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged examination irregularities including NEET-UG 2026. NTA announced the results of the June 21 NEET-UG re-exam on July 16 after the original exam was canceled on May 3 due to an alleged paper leak. The Central Bank of Iraq arrested 13 people in the case.
