New Delhi: A massive protest organised by the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) broke out outside the Shastri Bhawan Tuesday, against the alleged paper leak in NEET-UG this year.
Several members of the Congress party’s student wing were seen participating in the protest, while holding placards that read ‘PM compromised, paper compromised’, ‘paper leak, Modi sarkar weak’, and ‘doctor ki degree bikao hain’ (doctor’s degree is for sale).
They also raised slogans like “chaatro pe attyachar bandh karo’ (stop oppression of students), amidst heavy barricading and police presence outside the Shstri Bhawan.
The NEET-UG exam was held May 3, following which allegations of paper leak surfaced, triggering investigations by the Rajasthan Special Operations Group (SOG) and the CBI.
The National Testing Agency (NTA) announced the cancellation of NEET-UG 2026, and said the examination will be re-conducted on dates to be notified separately.
In a statement, the NTA said the decision was taken with the approval of the Government of India in the interest of maintaining transparency and preserving trust in the national examination system.
NSUI said the cancellation of the examination itself proves that large-scale irregularities and serious lapses had taken place in the NEET examination process.
The NSUI also accused the central government of repeatedly failing to protect the future of lakhs of hardworking students.
“Today’s decision to cancel NEET is a victory of student power and the voice of lakhs of aspirants across the country. NSUI was among the first organisations to raise this issue and demand justice for students,” NSUI National President Vinod Jakhar said.
“If the examination system was fair, the government would not have been forced to cancel the exam and order a CBI probe. This clearly exposes the failure of the education ministry and NTA,” he added.
Jhakar further demanded the immediate resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and called for a complete ban on the NTA, stating that the agency has repeatedly failed to conduct credible examinations.
The NSUI said repeated controversies surrounding NEET have completely destroyed students’ trust in the examination system and warned that the movement for educational justice and accountability will continue until strict action is taken against everyone involved in the scam.
PTI