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NEET UG 2026 cancelled amid paper leak row, students, parents and educators react strongly
NEET UG 2026 was cancelled amid paper leak row on May 12, 2026. CBI is currently investigating the matter. Students, parents and educators have reacted.
The Centre had cancelled NEET UG 2026 on May 12 following allegations of paper leak and irregularities. The cancellation has triggered widespread outrage among students, parents, and educators in India.
Students across the country staged protests, demanding accountability and a transparent investigation into the alleged malpractice.
The social media handles have been flooded with messages and tweets on cancellation. Many aspirants took the social media to describe the cancellation as emotionally exhausting after months, and even years, of preparation.
Similarly, teachers, parents and coaching experts have reacted to the cancellation with mixed emotions. While many supported the decision to cancel the examination in the interest of fairness, they also highlighted the mental pressure the move would place on students preparing for another attempt.
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Commenting on the issue, ALLEN Career Institute Pvt. Ltd. CEO Nitin Kukreja said that stronger and technology-driven systems are the need of the hour to prevent such situations in the future. He suggested that NEET should be conducted in Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode, similar to JEE, which can significantly reduce the chances of paper leaks and other malpractices.
As per ANI report, Alakh Pandey, Founder & CEO of PhysicsWallah, 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…”
NEET’s shift to computer-based testing faces single-shift hurdle
ABVP Delhi State Secretary Sarthak Sharma, while protesting against the cancellations of the NEET exam, said, “It is extremely unfortunate that instead of fixing accountability on such a sensitive issue concerning the future of students, attempts are being made to suppress their voices”, reported PTI.
Meanwhile, the CBI has arrested 5 persons and conducted searches at multiple locations across the country. The CBI arrested Mangilal Biwal, Vikas Biwal, and Dinesh Biwal from Jaipur, Yash Yadav from Gurugram, and Shubham Khairnar from Nashik, with several other suspects being quizzed in various cities and may be arrested later, officials said, reported PTI.
WhatsApp group, coaching centres: Inside the NEET 'paper leak' scandal
The National Testing Agency, NTA, conducted the NEET exam this year on May 3. As per the NTA, 22.79 lakh students appeared for the exam, which was held across 551 cities in India and 14 cities abroad, covering more than 5,400 centres.
