'Paper Leak Mafias Destroying Future': Congress Attacks Centre Over NEET-UG 2026 Cancellation

Last Updated:May 12, 2026, 13:52 IST

The Opposition attacked the Centre after the cancellation of NEET-UG 2026 over alleged paper leaks, accusing the government of failing to protect the integrity of exams.

The Opposition on Tuesday mounted a sharp attack on the Centre and the National Testing Agency (NTA) after the cancellation of the NEET-UG 2026 examination over alleged paper leaks, with the Congress accusing the Narendra Modi government of systematically weakening the country’s examination system.

The National Testing Agency cancelled the medical entrance examination conducted on May 3, citing investigative inputs and allegations of irregularities, while the Centre ordered a comprehensive CBI probe into the matter.

In a statement, the Congress said the cancellation of NEET had pushed the hard work and sacrifices of nearly 22 lakh students and their families “down the drain".

“The NEET paper has been leaked – the exam has been cancelled. Due to the cancellation of this exam, the hard work of nearly 22 lakh students, their families’ money… everything has gone down the drain," the party said.

The Congress further alleged that paper leaks and examination irregularities had become the “hallmark" of the BJP-led government and claimed that more than 89 papers had leaked in the last 10 years under the Modi government.

“It’s true – Narendra Modi and his government have hollowed out the examination system, where the aspirations of the youth are being strangled, and the foundations of the nation are being weakened. They should feel ashamed," the party said.

Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Shukla described the cancellation as “deeply unfortunate" and questioned the credibility of the examination system.

“For millions of students, NEET is not just an exam — it is years of hard work, sacrifice, discipline, and dreams of becoming doctors," Shukla said.

He also targeted the NTA, saying the agency had repeatedly faced controversies, technical glitches and allegations since its inception.

“NTA, in its present form, stands for No Trust Agency," he said.

Congress MP Manickam Tagore also criticised the government, saying lakhs of students were being punished because of a “completely compromised system".

“Year after year, the same scandal, the same excuses, the same suffering," he said, while questioning who would be held accountable for the repeated controversies surrounding the examination.

Tamil Nadu Congress Committee, in a separate statement, said, “NEET isn’t an exam anymore – it’s an auction. Paper leaks. Zero accountability. Silence from Narendra Modi. Again."

OPPOSITION QUESTIONS GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY

Congress leader and Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge told CNN-News18 that it was “disheartening" to see such incidents happening repeatedly and alleged that the government had “not learnt lessons from previous mistakes".

Kharge said there had been 89 paper leaks in the last 10 years and claimed the government had no answers when Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had raised the NEET issue in Parliament.

Congress veteran and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath said the repeated allegations of leaks indicated that the entrance examination system was not secure.

He alleged that “some organised racket" was operating behind the scenes and compared the controversy with the Vyapam scam in Madhya Pradesh.

“This is daylight robbery of the rights of the country’s talented students and a conspiracy to push the entire medical system into the pit," Kamal Nath said.

Congress MP Karti Chidambaram questioned who would take responsibility for the controversy and asked what action the Union Education Ministry and NTA were taking.

“It’s unfair for students, causes inconvenience and mental stress. PM must show leadership and take strict action," he told CNN-News18.

REGIONAL PARTIES ALSO TARGET BJP, NTA

DMK spokesperson Saravanan Annadurai said the cancellation vindicated the party’s long-standing opposition to NEET and reiterated the demand for medical admissions based on Class 12 marks.

“The question paper has leaked from a BJP-ruled state. And this is probably the 4th or 5th time the question paper has leaked," he said.

NCP-SP MLA Rohit Pawar welcomed the cancellation and inquiry but questioned why preventive mechanisms failed before the alleged leak occurred.

“Considering the mental distress caused to students and parents after the exam is canceled, why isn’t proper care taken in advance to ensure that such malpractices don’t occur?" he asked.

AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh alleged that the cancellation represented a “betrayal of the youth" and accused the BJP of enabling an “education mafia".

Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot claimed the BJP government in the state had attempted to suppress information related to the alleged leak.

“The truth has come out, and the true face of the BJP government has been exposed," Gehlot said.

NTA DEFENDS DECISION, CBI PROBE ORDERED

Meanwhile, the NTA said the cancellation decision was taken in coordination with central agencies after inputs and investigative findings indicated that “the present examination process could not be allowed to stand."

The agency said the exam would be reconducted on dates to be announced later and clarified that no fresh registrations or additional examination fees would be required.

It also acknowledged that the cancellation would cause “real and significant inconvenience" to students and families, but maintained that the move was necessary to preserve trust in the examination system.

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