India Cancels Prestigious NEET-UG Exam Due to Paper Leak Allegations

New Delhi. The government has canceled the prestigious National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET-UG) for admission to medical colleges in India after the question paper was leaked. 

While an investigation is underway into allegations of the question paper being 'leaked', the federal government's National Testing Agency (NTA) on Tuesday decided to cancel it, stating that the current examination process cannot be recognized. 

This exam, considered mandatory for studying in medical colleges across India, was conducted on May 3. Approximately 2.28 million examinees participated in it across more than 5,000 centers nationwide. 

However, a few days after the exam concluded, news of the question paper leaking surfaced, leading to protests by students and parents. Amidst intense protests and growing political pressure over this issue in the Indian capital Delhi, the government has taken the step of canceling the exam. 

According to Indian media reports, investigators suspect the question paper leaked from Rajasthan. A senior official from the Rajasthan police stated that a 'guess paper' (speculative question paper) had circulated before the exam, and the questions in it were found to match the actual exam. 

Out of the 410 questions in the said guess paper, about 120 questions were found to be identical to the chemistry section of the actual exam. The NEET-UG question paper consists of a total of 180 compulsory questions, including physics, chemistry, and biology. 

The NTA stated that the decision to cancel the exam was taken keeping in mind the credibility of the national examination system and the interests of the students. This issue has now been handed over to the federal investigation agency CBI. As the date for the re-examination has not yet been announced, concerns about delays in the admission process have increased. 

This decision has become very painful for millions of examinees who have been preparing for years. A 17-year-old student from Delhi expressed concern that her efforts have gone to waste, as her entire life for the past two years has been spent preparing for this exam. 

With the cancellation of the exam, the educational future of approximately 2.3 million students aspiring to become doctors is now in uncertainty.