14 May,2026 09:50 PM IST | Pune | mid-day online correspondent
NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar expressed concern over the uncertainty faced by students, saying they are extremely anxious as they do not know when the examination will be conducted again. FILE PIC
NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Thursday asserted that the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak is a clear indication that the country's entire examination system has "badly deteriorated".
The National Testing Agency (NTA) was forced to cancel the NEET-UG 2026 examination following serious allegations of irregularities and paper leak.
Addressing the media, Pawar criticised the Central government for failing to take adequate precautionary measures despite repeated incidents of paper leaks in the recent past, news agency IANS reported.
"Lakhs of students across the country appear for the NEET examination, and their future depends on it. Despite this, the irregularities that have come to light are extremely serious," he said.
Pawar pointed out that irregularities in the national-level medical entrance exam have surfaced in several states including Maharashtra, Kerala, Haryana, and others.
"This shows how badly the entire system has deteriorated, and ultimately, students are the ones suffering because of it," he added.
The NCP (SP) chief expressed concern over the uncertainty faced by students, saying they are extremely anxious as they do not know when the examination will be conducted again.
"There is a great deal of anxiety surrounding the situation," Pawar added.
Meanwhile, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested two more accused in the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case, taking the total number of arrests to seven. The latest arrests are Dhananjay Lokhanda from Ahilyanagar and Manisha Waghmare from Pune. Both were detained during searches at 14 locations across the country.
A Delhi court has remanded the five previously arrested accused to seven days of CBI custody.
The CBI had registered the case on May 12, 2026, following a complaint by the Department of Higher Education under the Ministry of Education.
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Thursday criticised the National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET) system and demanded its cancellation following allegations of the paper leak case and alleged irregularities.
In a detailed post on X, Raj Thackeray accused the Central government of creating confusion and putting millions of students and families under stress through alleged repeated failures in the medical entrance examination system.
The MNS chief referred to allegations that the NEET examination paper had been sold for Rs 10 lakh and claimed that the network behind the leak had links to Maharashtra, while also operating across the country.
He alleged that coaching classes involved in preparing students for NEET were also part of the wider system of corruption surrounding the examination process.
The MNS chief criticised the Centre's response to the controversy, saying cancelling the examination and ordering a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry was not enough.
According to him, previous investigations had also failed to deliver concrete results, while nearly 22 lakh students and their families were left facing uncertainty.
(With IANS inputs)
