CPI's D Raja slams govt over NEET exam cancellation, demands accountablity

New Delhi [India], May 13 : A day after the National Testing Agency cancelled the NEET-UG 2026 examination, conducted on May 3, amid allegations of a question paper leak, Communist Party of India (CPI) General Secretary D Raja demanded accountability and called for a thorough investigation.
He said that the cancellation indicated that the the BJP-led Central government was not serious about the future of the students.
Raja told ANI, "It shows the insensitivity of the government towards the life of our students; their future is being played with. Who should be held responsible for exam cancellations due to question paper leak and other malpractices? Let there be a comprehensive investigation, let the truth come out. We should be sensitive and responsible in strengthening our educational system."
Raja's remarks came after the central government decided to cancel the NEET-UG 2026 examination, originally supposed to be conducted on May 3.
The move was made following allegations regarding paper leaks and irregularities.
The National Testing Agency (NTA) stated that the decision was taken after inputs were examined in coordination with central agencies, and findings shared by law enforcement agencies raised concerns over the integrity of the examination process.
The agency clarified that the registration data, candidature details and examination centres chosen by candidates for the May 2026 cycle would remain valid for the re-test. No fresh registration will be required, and no additional fee will be charged.
Following the cancellation of the exam, Opposition leaders launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led central government.
Congress leader P Chidambaram called for the abolition of NEET-UG 2026 and suggested returning examination authority to state governments, stating that large-scale national entrance tests are highly vulnerable to question paper leaks.
In a post on X, Chidambaram wrote, "NEET-UG 2026 examination was held on May 3, 2026. The exam was conducted across over 5,432 centres. These centres were located across 551 cities within India and 14 cities abroad, catering to approximately 22.79 lakh registered students"
"It is common sense that in the conduct of such an exam, over a large geographical area, the question paper has a very high probability of being leaked. Such leaks have happened in the past too. The answer is not attempt to 'plug' the leaks. The answer is to abolish NEET, return the authority to the States, and for NTA to ensure that the quality and standard of such State-level exams are of uniform high quality and standard," the post read.
Meanwhile, the BJP government announced that the exam would be re-conducted on a later date and handed the case of paper leak over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for a detailed probe.