NEET Exam Cancellation Exposes Serious Negligence and Lack of Vigilance: V Sivankutty

Thiruvananthapuram: V Sivankutty has criticised the Centre over the cancellation of the NEET UG 2026 examination, calling the move an admission of failure in conducting one of the country’s most important entrance tests.

In a statement, Sivankutty said the decision exposed the “serious negligence and lack of vigilance” shown by Central government agencies in handling examinations that determine the future and dreams of lakhs of students across the country. He said the cancellation effectively confirmed allegations that the question paper of the May 3rd examination had been leaked.

The senior CPI(M) leader accused the Centre of mentally and financially burdening students and parents who had spent months preparing for the exam. He said the irresponsible functioning of institutions such as the National Testing Agency (NTA) had undermined the credibility and transparency of the country’s examination system.

Sivankutty added that although the NTA had promised to announce a fresh examination date soon, the uncertainty surrounding the re-test would create immense psychological stress among students. He also said that merely refunding examination fees would not compensate for the losses suffered by candidates and their families.

Demanding accountability, the former Education Minister urged the Central government to take responsibility for what he described as a major failure in exam administration. He also called for strict action against those responsible for the lapses and for urgent reforms to ensure transparency and reliability in future examinations.

The NEET UG 2026 examination was cancelled after investigators found evidence of a large-scale question paper leak. The Centre has handed over the probe into the alleged malpractice to the CBI. While the NTA has announced that the exam will be conducted again, the revised date has not yet been declared.

The controversy escalated after it emerged that a “model question paper” circulated ahead of the exam reportedly matched a majority of the actual questions asked in the test. Preliminary reports indicate that 160 out of 180 questions had been leaked, including around 120 questions from the Chemistry section. Authorities believe nearly 600 marks worth of questions out of the total 720 had been compromised, severely affecting the credibility of the examination.

In connection with the case, the Rajasthan Police Special Operations Group has already taken 13 people into custody from Sikar and Dehradun.