‘2 years of hard work feel wasted’: Aspirants react to NEET cancellation

The announcement triggered strong reactions from students and coaching institutes, many of whom expressed concerns over the decision’s impact on students’ mental health and academic future.

Pune: The National Testing Agency (NTA) on Tuesday announced the cancellation of the NEET-UG 2026 examination conducted on May 3, citing alleged irregularities and paper leak concerns. The examination will now be re-conducted and dates will be announced soon.

Nashik [Maharashtra], May 12 (ANI): The accused, Shubham Khairnar, being taken into custody by the CBI officials from the Crime Branch Unit-2 office in connection with the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak, in Nashik on Tuesday. (ANI Video Grab) (ANI Video Grab)

The announcement triggered strong reactions from students and coaching institutes, many of whom expressed concerns over the decision’s impact on students’ mental health and academic future.

“We had been preparing for years for this examination under immense mental pressure. And, now, they say the paper was leaked! How can something like this even happen? A strict and transparent system should have been in place. They are asking us to retake the exam, but what guarantee is there that the paper will be secure this time?” said Prachi Sharma, a NEET repeater.

Another aspirant, Harshal Gupta, said the decision has left them emotionally shattered. “My expected score this year was around 670. I cannot even express what I am feeling right now. It is extremely difficult to mentally prepare for the entire process again. Two years of hard work feel wasted in a single moment,” he said.

Aspirant Rishi Surana highlighted the academic burden of preparing again. “We solve 20 to 30 books and spend years preparing for the exam. Revising everything again is mentally exhausting. Also, there is a constant fear about whether we will perform the same way as in the previous exam. If our scores drop because of this stress and uncertainty, who will take responsibility for our loss? he asked.

A NEET coaching faculty member from Pune questioned the examination system and its security mechanisms.“It is being claimed that the question paper was available 15 to 20 days in advance. We do not know the complete truth, but students were subjected to strict checks, from shoes to water bottles, while the authorities failed to secure their own system. Loopholes appear to exist within the system itself. Such incidents can push many students into depression,” the faculty member said.

Political reactions have also emerged. Kalpesh Yadav, joint secretary of Yuva Sena, said cancelling the examination nationwide without identifying specific affected centres is unfair to the students. “If irregularities occurred only at certain centres, then cancelling the examination across the country would be unjust to genuine students from unaffected centres. This decision could also delay the entire admission process. The government should consider cancelling the exam only at those centres where malpractice has actually occurred,” he said.

Meanwhile, the central government decided to hand the matter over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). NTA stated that it would fully cooperate with the investigation and provide all necessary records and assistance.