India News | Dreams on Hold: Nationwide Protests Erupt as NEET-UG 2026 Integrity Crumbles, NTA Under Fire over Paper Leak Paralysis
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. It isn't just about a leaked question paper; it's about the erosion of the meritocratic ideal. When the gatekeeper of the nation's doctors loses its keys, the entire healthcare future of the country feels compromised
New Delhi [India], May 12 (ANI): The NEET-UG 2026 exam, the gateway to the nation's medical future, has become the centre of a systemic crisis following widespread allegations of a coordinated paper leak after the Centre on Tuesday cancelled the NEET-UG 2026 examination conducted on May 3.
The country's largest undergraduate medical entrance test will be re-conducted on dates to be announced separately.
The corridors of India's premier coaching hubs, once filled with the rhythmic chanting of biology mnemonics and physics formulae, have been replaced by the roar of slogans.
From the gates of the National Testing Agency (NTA) headquarters in Delhi to the streets of Kota and Chennai, the medical aspirations of 22.79 lakh students are currently in a state of suspended animation.
As per the NTA, the exam was held across 551 cities in India and 14 cities abroad, covering more than 5,400 centres.
Following complaints related to the conduct of the examination, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registered an FIR under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Prevention of Corruption Act, and the Public Examination Prevention of Unfair Means Act, 2024, based on a complaint from the Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education.
The FIR has been registered for offences of criminal conspiracy, cheating, criminal breach of trust, theft and destruction of evidence under BNS, apart from PCA and offences under the Public Examination Prevention of Unfair Means Act.
CBI intensified its action, with teams reaching Jaipur and Nashik to take forward the investigation into irregularities linked to the medical entrance examination.
A four-member CBI team arrived at the Crime Branch Unit-2 office in Nashik to take custody of accused Shubham Khairnar, who was earlier arrested by the Nashik Crime Branch, while another CBI team reached the Rajasthan Police Special Operations Group (SOG) office in Jaipur to collect documents and evidence related to the case.
The agency is also expected to question individuals already detained by the SOG as part of the ongoing investigation into the alleged paper leak.
The cancellation of NEET-UG 2026 has triggered protests by student organisations across several parts of the country, while also sparking a political row with opposition leaders questioning the credibility of the examination system and demanding accountability from the authorities.
Students' Federation of India (SFI) members protested against the National Testing Agency (NTA).
An SFI member, Aishe Ghosh, said, "We are protesting against the malpractices in NEET and paper leaks. This has been happening every year since the formation of the National Testing Agency, but the government is doing nothing about this. We are demanding the dismissal of a system like NTA."
The National Students' Union of India (NSUI) workers also held a protest against the central government.
The opposition leaders also slammed the Central government. Leader of Oppositon in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi criticised the government, saying that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Amrit Kaal' has turned "poison" for the country.
In a post on X, the Congress MP called the development not just a "failure" but a "crime" against the youth's future. He highlighted that parents made sacrifices so that their wards could afford the NEET coaching, but in return, they receive paper leaks, government negligence, and organised corruption in the education sector.
"The NEET 2026 exam has been cancelled. The hard work, sacrifices, and dreams of more than 22 lakh students have been crushed by this corrupt BJP regime. Some fathers took loans, some mothers sold their jewellery, lakhs of children stayed up all night studying, and in return, they got paper leaks, government negligence, and organised corruption in education. This is not just a failure--it's a crime against the future of the youth," Gandhi said.
Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge also lambasted the Centre over repeated disruptions and alleged irregularities in competitive examinations, including the cancellation of NEET-UG 2026, alleging negligence that is "ruining the future of students".
"This is happening again and again. I don't understand why the government is not paying attention to this? This happens in Madhya Pradesh, UP, and Bihar. Nowhere else in the country does this happen. It means daal mein kuch kaala hai. Attention is not being paid to this. They are ruining the future of students. They are also damaging the image of students in India...Strict action should be taken against those who leak paper," Kharge said.
AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi said, "What happened to that law which you enacted in Parliament promising strict punishment, vowing to take decisive action, and making various assurances. So, how did the paper leak? Think of the plight of those students who have been preparing with utmost dedication for the past year or two, and whose parents have spent lakhs of rupees on coaching centres. Think of those underprivileged students who dream of clearing the NEET examination. The BJP must answer for this. The Prime Minister must answer for this..."
AAP leader Manish Sisodia said, "I want to tell the Prime Minister that these 2.2 million students represent the country's 'Gen Z'. You have seen what Gen Z did in Nepal. Mark my words: if your associates, driven by the greed for a few rupees, continue to engage in the illicit trading of examination papers in this manner, then this Gen Z will oust those currently in power. This is Gen Z. You cannot intimidate or threaten them using agencies like the ED or the CBI. If you fail to deliver justice, they will inflict upon you the very same fate that Gen Z meted out to those in Nepal."
Congress leader Sachin Pilot said, "It's been 9-10 days now. When all the facts and revelations came to light, the government was forced to cancel this exam. The question arises that this isn't the first time a paper leak has happened. 22 lakh students had prepared for this paper with immense sacrifice and dedication... There is a massive mafia behind this paper leak... The government should take cognisance of why this keeps happening repeatedly. The government will have to focus on good governance... In these circumstances, the country's youth is unemployed... The government will have to take some action against this."
Delhi AAP President Saurabh Bharadwaj said, "For the past several years, we've been hearing that the NEET exam, in which 24-25 lakh students participate, has been facing paper leaks. I've never read in the newspapers what punishment is given to the gangs that leak the papers. The BJP has never held a press conference to announce that we've slapped PMLA on them and they've been locked up in jail for 6 years. The chain of protection they received from the officials and politicians who allowed the paper to reach them has never been exposed... This suggests that such malpractices are thriving under the government's patronage. The Supreme Court's 2024 decision, which people repeatedly urged that you should conduct the exam again, but the court didn't agree... The people who bought the paper have now reached the third year of MBBS..."
Karnataka Minister MC Sudhakar said, "It is an unpardonable incident. This is happening time and again... When this happened the previous year, it was said that sweeping changes would be brought in the entire administration of the National Testing Agency... 22,79,000 people enrolled and 22,05,000 appeared for the NEET exam... A major concern is that none of their qualifying exam results is being considered here... I appeal to the Supreme Court and the Government of India to decentralise the whole system and consider the marks of the qualifying exam... The government is responsible for what is happening right now."
Further, Education leaders, including coaching institute CEOs and prominent teachers, stressed the need for strong action against those involved in paper leak cases and demanded a secure, fair, and glitch-free re-examination process to protect the interests of lakhs of students.
CEO of ALLEN Career Institute, Nitin Kukreja, encouraged students not to be disheartened with the recent cancellation of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) UG exam due to an alleged paper leak, while calling for reforms in the examination system.
Kukreja suggested that just like the Joint Entrance Exam (JEE), NEET could also be moved to a computer-based test, while calling on the National Testing Agency (NTA) to ensure secure and transparent testing.
"My only suggestion to students is: do not get disheartened. Tune out the external noise and prepare just as diligently, if not more so, than you did for the previous exam; hope for the best...It is the NTA's responsibility to identify anyone who has engaged in wrongdoing and ensure they face exemplary punishment. Furthermore, they must ensure that the re-test is completely free of glitches or irregularities. It must be conducted as securely and transparently as possible so that everyone's faith, specifically the faith of every child, is restored," he said.
Founder and CEO of PhysicsWallah, Alakh Pandey said, "It is very unfortunate...students lose faith in the system when such incidents happen...it puts the students under a lot of mental pressure...papers get leaked only when insiders are involved. They do it to make quick money, and those who buy it come from the higher strata of society. This syndicate comprises rich and powerful people. This is not the first time it has happened; it's just that this year it has blown up like never before. NTA has cancelled the paper to conceal how it got leaked...all the restrictions are on the examinees, but I have not heard anyone being jailed for being involved with such paper leaks. Why don't we treat them as terrorists?...the ones buying leaked papers are even more guilty than the ones selling them..."
Founder of Super 30 educational programme, Anand Kumar, said, "Question paper leaks are very unfortunate. This happened in 2024 and now in 2026. Aspirants are scared and nervous. First of all, I would like to tell them and their parents not to lose heart. It is a little relief that the Govt took prompt action and cancelled the exam. The accused have been arrested, and there are also talks going on about a CBI probe...The most important thing in such situations is to have patience. So, have patience and prepare well for the re-exam and do even better. Take this as an opportunity, not as a disappointment. I urge the Govt with folded hands that papers are leaked quite often, so NTA should be alert. Unfortunately, this is happening again and again. Strictest action should be taken against the accused...Such laws should be made so that this does not happen again."
Educator Khan Sir said, "Our appeal to the Prime Minister is that the PMO get involved in this matter and extend assistance to the Supreme Court. Furthermore, regarding the ongoing investigation, the progress of the process should be reported on a weekly basis. This is crucial because it is essential to regain the trust of the students."
Meanwhile, National Testing Agency (NTA) Director General Abhishek Singh said the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) will carry out a fair and comprehensive probe into the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak allegations, identifying all those involved, irrespective of whether they are inside or outside the agency.
Speaking to ANI over a Zoom call, Singh addressed concerns over possible internal involvement in the alleged leak and said strict action will be taken against anyone found guilty.
"Whether it is somebody from inside or somebody from outside, CBI will do a complete fair inquiry and will identify anyone, whoever it may be, whether inside or outside, that doesn't matter. Whosoever is guilty, whosoever has caused us to come to this situation will be identified, punished and sent to jail," he said.
"It is unfortunate, it is not fair for the students or parents, for all the stakeholders, that we were unable to ensure that nothing went wrong. We are investigating, we have asked CBI to inquire into it," Singh said.
Meanwhile, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan refused to answer questions from the media regarding the cancellation of the NEET-UG 2026 examination amid allegations of paper leak and examination irregularities.
Pradhan declined to respond when reporters sought his reaction to the controversy surrounding the medical entrance examination, which was cancelled by the Centre earlier in the day.
It isn't just about a leaked question paper; it's about the erosion of the meritocratic ideal. When the gatekeeper of the nation's doctors loses its keys, the entire healthcare future of the country feels compromised. (ANI)
(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)