Abolish NEET, restore state CET; Karnataka urges Centre after paper leak row

Bengaluru : The Karnataka government on Saturday reiterated its demand before the Centre to scrap the NEET-UG examination from the academic year 2026 onwards and restore the powers of states to conduct their own transparent and merit-based Common Entrance Tests.

Addressing a press conference here, State Medical Education Minister Sharan Prakash Patil called the recent NEET question paper leak a "grave injustice" to the entire student community, and accused the central government of "sabotaging" the futures of thousands of students who dream of becoming doctors. Karnataka's CET is a far superior model to NEET and should be adopted nationally.

The state has urged the Centre on multiple occasions to consider this, but those appeals have gone unheeded, he said. Alleging that chaos surrounds NEET every single year , Patil demanded the resignation of the Union Minister concerned over this latest debacle and called for an investigation under the direction of a court of law.

Also read NEET was far from fair even before paper-leak controversies

The minister also expressed his lack of confidence in the ability of CBI, which is currently probing the scandal, stating that a transparent investigation under its watch is unlikely. "This scandal appears to have been orchestrated to enable the sale of MBBS seats, and there are strong suspicions that powerful individuals are behind the entire affair," he alleged.

NEET paper leak: Karnataka questions exam credibility

In a statement issued earlier in the day, the Minister emphasised that Karnataka has a long-standing legacy of administering fair, transparent, student-friendly and merit-oriented entrance examinations through the Karnataka Examinations Authority. He noted that the CET system in Karnataka has for decades enabled lakhs of deserving students, especially from rural, middle-class and economically weaker sections, to secure professional education opportunities based on merit, hard work and academic consistency.

The minister said the Karnataka CET model has been widely appreciated for its transparency, accountability and efficient conduct, helping meritorious students shape their future with confidence and instilling faith among the younger generation in the integrity of the education system.

Also read Same Exam, Old Nightmare: NEET 2026 cancelled, paper-leak probe, NTA reform, re-neet – the story so far

He said the NEET experience over the past several years has raised serious concerns across the country. According to him, repeated allegations and incidents of question paper leaks, impersonation, organised cheating rackets, manipulation, technical irregularities and lack of adequate accountability have severely damaged the credibility of the examination process conducted by the National Testing Agency.

Karnataka CET: State seeks decentralised admissions

Pointing to recent controversies surrounding NEET examinations, the Minister said these issues have caused stress, uncertainty and mental trauma among students and parents. Repeated reports of malpractice expose the inability of central agencies to ensure a completely fair and foolproof examination system at the national level. He added that confidence among students in the integrity of the examination process has been deeply shaken.

Underscoring that medical education is a critical sector that determines the future healthcare strength of the country, Patil said admissions must be based on a system that is transparent, corruption-free and sensitive to regional and educational diversity. He argued that a centralised examination model plagued by allegations of irregularities cannot be imposed on states that have demonstrated efficient and credible examination mechanisms.

Also read ‘Most incompetent agency’: Re-NEET 2026 sparks student anger against NTA; 'unfair, harassment' say aspirants

The minister also highlighted that Karnataka's CET system has successfully balanced merit with accessibility and ensured fair opportunities for students from all sections of society. Patil said the state government has already written to the Government of India seeking the abolition of NEET and permission to conduct admissions through the Karnataka CET system.

He urged the union government to respect the federal structure of the Constitution and allow states to conduct entrance examinations through credible agencies such as KEA. Restoring the CET system would protect students' interests and rebuild public confidence in the admission process, Patil said. The minister reiterated that the state government will continue to pursue the matter in the interest of students, parents and the future of medical education in Karnataka.