Congress MP P. Chidambaram on May 12 waded into the NEET-UG 2026 controversy, arguing that conducting such a massive examination across the country makes paper leaks highly probable. Taking to his official handle on X, he said that the answer does not lie in attempting to plug the leaks, but in abolishing NEET and returning the authority to the states.
According to him, the National Testing Agency (NTA) should instead focus on ensuring that the quality and standard of such state-level examinations remain uniformly high across the country. Chidambaram’s remarks come following the cancellation of NEET-UG 2026 over alleged paper leak irregularities.
NEET UG 2026 Cancelled
NEET UG 2026 was cancelled after allegations emerged that several questions from a widely circulated “guess paper” closely resembled those asked in the main examination conducted on May 3. The Government has also handed over the matter to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for a detailed inquiry into the alleged irregularities.
In a recent statement, the NTA said the decision was taken based on inputs from central agencies and findings pointing to a possible breach in the integrity of the examination process.
Stating that the examination “could not be allowed to continue,” the agency announced that NEET UG 2026 would be reconducted on fresh dates, which will be announced later.
Lakhs of students affected
NEET UG is among India’s largest entrance examinations for undergraduate medical admissions, with nearly 22 lakh candidates reportedly appearing this year.
Following the cancellation, students across the country are now grappling with uncertainty over revised exam dates, preparation schedules, and the overall admission process.
