'Why Should I Go To Protest When I Could Study': NEET UG Re-Exam AIR 2 Panshul Bansal

New Delhi: Amid protests demanding Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation over the NEET paper leak, NEET UG 2026 All India Rank 2 holder Panshul Bansal has said that, "I thought, why should I go to the protest? Instead, I could be studying at home, improving my skills and improving my score."

Bansal who secured All India Rank 2 with a 99.9999 percentile in the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination, made the remarks while speaking to NDTV.

The original NEET-UG examination for admission to undergraduate medical courses was held on May 3 but was cancelled on May 12 after allegations that the question paper had been leaked. The CBI is probing the leak, and 13 accused are currently in custody.

"Initially, I had a feeling of despair and sadness. But after one or two hours, I looked at it from a positive perspective and got motivated and determined to do better this time," Bansal said.

He also said that he had scored around 706 marks in the original examination before improving to 715 in the re-test.

"I thought, why should I bring negativity into the picture? I should forget everything and focus on my main goal. Whatever happens will be for the good. Once the paper is over, the stress and anxiety will also end," he added. Reacting to the ongoing protests, he said, "I would not comment on that."

Earlier last week, Dharmendra Pradhan met Bansal and congratulated him on his remarkable performance in the country's biggest medical entrance exam.