Kamal Ghorui
NEET has been cancelled again. For lakhs of students, this is not just about an exam — it means stress, fear, wasted months of preparation, and uncertainty about the future.
Back in 2024, after NEET was held, the government first said there had been no paper leak. But later, the CBI started investigating a huge cheating and leak scandal that spread across several states. Now, in 2026, the paper leak was discovered quickly and the exam was cancelled within days. That may sound like an improvement, but it still shows that the system is failing again and again.
The problem seems deeper than just one leaked paper. The (NTA), which was created in 2017 to conduct entrance exams across India, has faced repeated complaints over the years:
- paper leaks
- cheating and fraud
- technical glitches
- poor planning of exam centres
Some students have even had to travel very long distances to write exams, spending lots of money and time.
For teenagers finishing school, college entrance exams are already stressful. But repeated cancellations, postponements, and re-tests make things even harder, both mentally and financially, for students and their families.
Because of this uncertainty, many families who can afford it are looking at colleges abroad. A recent NITI Aayog report showed that Indian spending on overseas education has risen hugely over the last decade — from about ₹975 crore in 2013–14 to nearly ₹29,000 crore in 2023–24.
Still, only about 3 out of every 100 Indian students study abroad. Most students — the other 97% — depend on Indian colleges and entrance exams. Over the last 10 years, students have faced around 20 disrupted exams, including cancellations and postponements.
The government now needs to seriously rethink how NTA works. Entrance exams should test students’ knowledge, not their ability to survive confusion, stress, and repeated failures of the system.
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