12 May,2026 11:23 PM IST | Mumbai | Mrinal Doshi
The National Testing Agency (NTA) announced that the NEET-UG 2026 examination would be reconducted. Representational Pic/File/iStock
For lakhs of NEET aspirants the announcement on Tuesday regarding the cancellation of NEET-UG 2026 following a suspected paper leak came as a nightmare. Students say that just days after they had finished the highly competitive examination and were planning for admissions, were now being forced back into preparation mode as the exam is set to be conducted again.
The cancellation of the NEET-UG 2026 examination following allegations of a paper leak has left lakhs of medical aspirants across India shocked, anxious and emotionally exhausted.
"This is so unfair," 17-year-old Jenisha Choitani, a NEET aspirant from Ahmedabad told mid-day, expressing the frustration felt by her just like many students.
The National Testing Agency (NTA) announced that the NEET-UG 2026 examination would be reconducted after allegations emerged that examination-related material had been leaked before the test.
The NTA stated that students would not need to register again or pay any additional examination fee for the re-test.
Nearly 22.79 lakh students had appeared for the examination held across more than 5,400 centres in India and abroad.
For many aspirants, the cancellation has meant reopening books they had mentally put aside after years of preparation.
Dr Harshad Bhanushali, who runs NEET biology coaching classes across three centres in South Mumbai, said the sudden development has deeply affected students' mental health.
"It's taking a mental toll on them to go through the books again once left," he said.
Calling the situation a major system failure, he added that if the allegations of a paper leak are true, cancelling the examination was the only fair decision.
"This shouldn't have happened in the first place, but if the paper has leaked, then cancelling the exam for all is the only fair option. Not a single child who has genuinely worked hard should suffer," he said.
Dr Harshad Bhanushali. Pic/Special Arrangement
Dr Bhanushali stressed that emotional support from parents and teachers is now more important than academic pressure.
"Kids are not robots. They need psychological support," he said.
He urged parents and teachers not to immediately push students back into intense study routines and instead help them cope emotionally with the uncertainty.
Many students say the cancellation has created fear over losing an entire academic year.
Munbai-based aspirant Raajeeya Vallabha Ramakrishna told mid-day that her examination had gone well, making the cancellation especially difficult to accept.
"All my papers went well and I'm unsure what the difficulty level for the re-exams will be," the 17-year-old said.
"It feels like two years of hard work have gone down the drain."
She also spoke about the immense pressure surrounding competitive examinations.
"My board results came just a day before my NEET exam, and there were constant messages saying things like âprepare fully, this is not just your school exam'," she said.
"All I want to say is please don't push students to take the wrong step."
Another student, Diya Jain, said she immediately returned to studying after hearing the news.
"We don't know when the re-exams will happen or how difficult they will be," she said.
"One wrong move and a whole year goes down the drain."
The controversy has triggered strong reactions from medical bodies and student organisations.
Indian Medical Association National President Dr Anil Kumar J Nayak has urged the Central Government to conduct a thorough investigation and take strict action against those responsible for the alleged leak.
Meanwhile, National Students' Union of India (NSUI) National President Vinod Jakhar criticised the handling of the situation and said students across the country have been forced to protest while demanding answers.
The incident has also revived discussions about reforms in India's examination system.
Dr Bhanushali suggested that NEET may need to move towards an online examination system in the future.
"We have rarely heard of JEE papers leaking. NEET should also consider going online," he said.
He also demanded strict punishment for those involved in the alleged leak to prevent such incidents in the future.
As lakhs of students prepare once again for one of India's toughest entrance examinations, many say the emotional burden of uncertainty has become as difficult as the exam itself.
