'Years of hard work wasted': NEET aspirants, parents and teacher react to exam cancellation

Months of sacrifice, sleepless nights and intense preparation appeared to collapse in an instant for NEET aspirants across Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday as the National Testing Agency (NTA) cancelled the NEET (UG) 2026 amid allegations of a paper leak and ordered a re-test. The NTA said the May 3 examination would be conducted again on dates to be announced later, while the CBI would carry out a comprehensive probe into the allegations. NEET UG Live updates.

In Varanasi, aspirant Shreya Jaiswal said students spend years preparing for the medical entrance examination and its cancellation at the last moment was "deeply unfair". "I worked hard for two years for this exam and now it feels like all our efforts have gone in vain," she said. Another aspirant, Aakriti Rai, said students and parents were left devastated after hearing the news. "For exams like NEET, even a single day matters. Parents invest hopes, money and emotions into our preparation. Now it feels everything has been wasted," she told PTI Videos.

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A parent waiting outside a coaching centre on his scooter in Varanasi said such incidents hit middle-class families the hardest as they spend heavily on preparation with the hope of securing their children's future. "Children study throughout the year, but someone with money gets hold of leaked papers and honest students suffer," he said, demanding strict action against those involved in paper leaks. In Prayagraj, which has emerged as a major education hub for competitive and medical entrance examinations in Uttar Pradesh, the cancellation also triggered disappointment among students and coaching operators.

Coaching centres in the city said students not only from Prayagraj but also nearby districts such as Pratapgarh, Rae Bareli, Amethi and Kaushambi come there for preparation. Students from distant districts including Jaunpur, Azamgarh, Deoria, Ballia, Mau and Mirzapur and Madhya Pradesh's Rewa and Satna also stay in the city for competitive exam coaching because living and study expenses are relatively lower compared to other cities. Suresh Chouhan, director of the prominent Career Coaching in Prayagraj, told PTI that paper leaks and exam cancellations increase pressure on students already struggling with rising educational costs.

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"We see children from villages and small towns collecting money note by note to pay coaching fees. They live in tiny rooms and study for an entire year hoping to fulfil their dreams. When papers get leaked, it is truly heartbreaking," he said. Chouhan said such incidents not only affect students and families but also damage society and the country at large. "The uncertainty over re-examinations often affects students psychologically and impacts their performance," he added. Aman Rastogi, a "dropper" who dedicated an entire year solely to NEET preparation, described the development as "heartbreaking".

"Those benefiting from paper leaks score well while hardworking students are left behind," he said. Another candidate, Satyam, questioned the credibility of the system, saying repeated controversies over NEET leaks were eroding students' trust in competitive examinations. In Lucknow, aspirant Abhimanyu said he was "shocked" that an examination conducted on such a large scale by the NTA could allegedly be compromised.

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"Many aspirants are traumatised and there is still no clarity on the re-test date," he said. Another student, Satish, said recurring paper leak incidents over the years had raised serious questions about the examination system. In Bareilly, coaching institute Shreshth IAS operator K B Tripathi demanded accountability and said the NTA chief should resign following the cancellation. He said authorities must disclose how the paper leak allegedly took place, who benefited from it and who was responsible.

"These incidents leave students hopeless and frustrated. Coaching and education have become extremely expensive and families make huge sacrifices," he said. Ragini Upadhyay, a Bareilly-based candidate, said her family had spent heavily on coaching and preparation, only for the examination to be cancelled. Another aspirant, Shadab, said students travelling long distances and preparing through online and offline coaching felt demoralised by repeated leak allegations. "Such incidents break the confidence of students, especially those who know they performed well," he said.