Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday sharply criticised the Centre following the cancellation of the NEET-UG 2026 examination, describing the controversy as a “crime” against the future of millions of students.
In a post on social media platform X, the Congress MP accused the BJP-led government of failing to protect the integrity of the country’s education system and said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of “Amrit Kaal” had turned into a “poison era” for the country’s youth.
The remarks came after the Centre cancelled the NEET-UG 2026 examination amid allegations of paper leaks and examination irregularities.
Rahul Gandhi says students and parents suffered due to exam controversy
Rahul Gandhi said more than 22 lakh students had been affected by the cancellation of the medical entrance examination.
According to him, students and parents made enormous sacrifices for the exam, including taking loans and selling jewellery to afford coaching and preparation expenses.
He alleged that despite years of hard work and preparation, students were ultimately confronted with paper leaks, negligence and organised corruption in the education sector.
The Congress leader also criticised repeated incidents of examination leaks across the country and claimed that students were being forced to bear the consequences while those responsible escaped accountability.
He further said repeated irregularities were creating uncertainty, financial stress and emotional pressure for students preparing for competitive examinations.
Centre cancels NEET-UG 2026 examination
Earlier in the day, the National Testing Agency (NTA) announced the cancellation of the NEET-UG 2026 examination conducted on May 3.
In an official statement, the NTA said the decision was taken after reviewing inputs from central agencies and findings shared by law enforcement authorities regarding alleged irregularities in the examination process.
The agency said the government had decided that the examination could not continue in its present form due to concerns over transparency and fairness.
The NEET-UG examination will now be conducted again on dates to be announced separately.
CBI to probe allegations linked to NEET paper leak
The Government of India has also referred the matter to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for a comprehensive inquiry into the allegations.
The NTA said it would fully cooperate with the investigation and provide all relevant records and materials required by the agency.
The examination authority acknowledged the inconvenience caused to students and parents but maintained that the cancellation was necessary to preserve trust in the examination system.
Officials clarified that students would not need to register again for the re-examination. Existing registration details and examination centre preferences would remain valid.
The NTA also announced that examination fees already paid by candidates would be refunded.
Over 22 lakh students appeared for NEET-UG 2026
NEET-UG is the single national entrance examination for admission to MBBS, BDS and other undergraduate medical programmes across India.
The 2026 examination was conducted on May 3 in pen-and-paper mode at more than 5,400 centres across 551 cities in India and 14 international cities.
According to official figures, nearly 22.79 lakh students appeared for the examination this year, making it one of the largest entrance tests conducted in the country.