AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi criticized the BJP-led central government for the cancellation of the NEET-UG 2026 examination due to paper leaks, calling for accountability for the impact on students, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds aspiring to become doctors.
Owaisi emphasized that the government must explain how the paper leak was allowed to occur despite promises of strict punishment and decisive action.
“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…” he said.
The central government canceled the NEET-UG 2026 exam, originally scheduled for May 3, following allegations of paper leaks and irregularities.
The National Testing Agency (NTA) stated that the decision was taken after reviewing inputs with central agencies and law enforcement findings that raised concerns about the examination’s integrity.
The NTA clarified that registration data, candidature details, and chosen examination centers for the May 2026 cycle would remain valid for the re-test, with no need for fresh registration or additional fees.
Opposition leaders responded critically to the cancellation. Congress leader P Chidambaram called for the removal of NEET-UG 2026 and returning examination authority to the states, citing large-scale national tests’ vulnerability to leaks.
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“It is common sense that in the conduct of such an exam, over a large geographical area, the question paper has a very high probability of being leaked. Such leaks have happened in the past too. The answer is not attempt to ‘plug’ the leaks. The answer is to abolish NEET, return the authority to the States, and for NTA to ensure that the quality and standard of such State-level exams are of uniform high quality and standard,” he added.
The BJP government has announced that the examination will be retaken on a later date and has referred the paper leak case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for an in-depth inquiry.
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