New Delhi, May 13:
Opposition leaders on Tuesday attacked the government after the cancellation of the NEET-UG examination, alleging administrative failure and insensitivity toward students, and also slammed the “repeated lapses” in the conduct of national-level competitive examinations.
Several opposition leaders took to X questioning the functioning of the National Testing Agency (NTA) and demanding accountability over the recurring controversies surrounding entrance tests.
The NTA on Tuesday cancelled the NEET (UG) 2026 exam held on May 3 amid allegations of paper leak, with the government asking the CBI to carry out a comprehensive inquiry into the “irregularities”.
The examination for students seeking admission to undergraduate courses in medical colleges will now be held afresh on dates to be notified separately.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi targetted the government over the cancellation, saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s so-called ‘amrit kaal’ has turned into a ‘vish kaal’ (poison-filled era) for the country and this instance is “not just a failure – it’s a crime against the future of the youth”.
He said the hard work, sacrifices, and dreams of more than 22 lakh students have been “crushed by this corrupt BJP regime”.
He also alleged that Modi and the BJP are “partners in the theft” of students’ future.
“The only rule in the market where your hard work and dreams are being auctioned is this: the bigger the theft, the bigger the reward,” Gandhi said. Now, lakhs of students will once again endure the same mental stress, financial burden, and uncertainty, he said.
If one’s destiny is determined not by hard work but by money and connections, then what meaning will education hold, the former Congress chief asked.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav questioned the credibility of conducting the examination and said what was the guarantee that papers won’t get leaked again if the test was re-conducted.
He alleged that the examination system would continue to suffer from paper leaks as long as the BJP remained in power.