Student organisations across political lines intensified protests on April 12 over the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak after the examination was cancelled. Groups including the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) demanded strict action over alleged irregularities in the medical entrance examination.
The NEET-UG exam was conducted on May 3, following which allegations of a paper leak surfaced, leading to an investigation by the Rajasthan Special Operations Group (SOG). On April 12, the National Testing Agency (NTA) announced the cancellation of the examination and said a fresh test would be conducted on dates to be announced later.
In its statement, the NTA said the decision was taken with the approval of the central government to ensure transparency and maintain public trust in the examination system.
Meanwhile, NSUI workers staged a protest outside Shastri Bhawan, carrying placards and raising slogans against the alleged compromise in the examination process. Heavy police deployment and barricading were seen at the protest site.
Reacting to the cancellation, NSUI national president Vinod Jakhar said the move exposed serious irregularities and failures in the conduct of the examination. He described the cancellation as a victory for students and claimed the organisation had been among the first to demand action on the issue.
Jakhar also alleged that the cancellation and the subsequent CBI probe reflected the failure of the education ministry and the NTA. He further demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and called for the NTA to be scrapped over repeated controversies surrounding national-level examinations.
The SFI also criticised the NTA, alleging large-scale lapses in the examination process. In a statement, the organisation claimed that a substantial portion of the total marks had been compromised and alleged that several questions were circulated in advance through a probable question paper. It further alleged that many chemistry questions were leaked exactly as they appeared in the exam.
Calling the NTA infamous for exam mismanagement, the SFI accused the Centre’s centralised examination system of encouraging corruption, mismanagement and the growth of “exam mafias” across the country.
The ABVP also demanded a fair and time-bound investigation by central agencies into the alleged paper leak and exam irregularities. The organisation said any compromise with the credibility of entrance examinations was unacceptable and added that reports of a leak had created anxiety among lakhs of students and parents nationwide.
The ABVP further called for stronger safeguards, including enhanced technical security, stricter confidentiality of question papers, better monitoring of examination centres and greater institutional accountability in national-level examinations.