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‘Doctor Ki Degree Bikao Hai’: Angry Students Protest As NEET Gets Cancelled
Sagarika Chakraborty | May 12, 2026 7:41 PM CST

A massive protest organised by the National Students' Union of India (NSUI) broke out outside Shastri Bhawan in Delhi on Tuesday after the cancellation of NEET-UG 2026 over alleged paper leak irregularities.

Several members of the Congress party’s student wing participated in the protest, raising slogans against the government and the examination system. Protesters carried placards reading “PM compromised, paper compromised”, “paper leak, Modi sarkar weak”, and “doctor ki degree bikao hain” (doctor's degree is for sale).

Demonstrators also shouted slogans such as “chaatro pe attyachar bandh karo” (stop oppression of students) amid heavy police deployment and barricading outside Shastri Bhawan.

NTA Cancels NEET-UG 2026, Announces Re-Examination

The NEET-UG examination was conducted on May 3. Soon after the exam, allegations of a paper leak surfaced, triggering investigations by the Rajasthan Special Operations Group (SOG) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The National Testing Agency (NTA) later announced the cancellation of NEET-UG 2026 and said the examination would be conducted again on dates to be announced separately.

In a statement, the NTA said the decision was taken with the approval of the Government of India to maintain transparency and preserve trust in the national examination system.

“On the basis of the inputs subsequently examined by NTA in coordination with the central agencies, and the investigative findings shared by the law enforcement agencies and in order to ensure that there is transparency in the system, the National Testing Agency, with the approval of the Government of India, has decided to cancel the NEET (UG) 2026 examination conducted on 3 May 2026, and to re-conduct the examination on dates that will be notified separately,” the statement said.

The agency added that the “present examination process could not be allowed to stand.”

Acknowledging the inconvenience caused to students and parents, the NTA said the decision was necessary to preserve the credibility of the examination system.

“The decision has been taken because the alternative would have caused greater and more lasting damage to that trust,” the statement read.

The agency also clarified that registration data, candidature details and examination centres chosen by candidates for the May 2026 cycle would remain valid for the re-test. No fresh registration or additional fee would be required.

NSUI Calls Cancellation A ‘Victory Of Student Power’

The NSUI said the cancellation itself proved that large-scale irregularities and serious lapses had taken place in the NEET examination process. The organisation accused the central government of repeatedly failing to protect the future of lakhs of students.

“Today's decision to cancel NEET is a victory of student power and the voice of lakhs of aspirants across the country. NSUI was among the first organisations to raise this issue and demand justice for students,” NSUI National President Vinod Jakhar said.

“If the examination system was fair, the government would not have been forced to cancel the exam and order a CBI probe. This clearly exposes the failure of the education ministry and NTA,” he added.

Jakhar also demanded the immediate resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and called for a complete ban on the NTA, alleging that the agency has repeatedly failed to conduct credible examinations.

The student organisation said repeated controversies surrounding NEET had completely destroyed students’ trust in the examination system and warned that the movement for educational justice and accountability would continue until strict action is taken against all those involved in the alleged scam.

Ashok Gehlot Demands Thorough Investigation

Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot also reacted to the controversy, saying repeated paper leaks had become a serious concern.

“This is a very big thing. Papers are being regularly leaked. The government should make this its priority and help stop such leaks,” Gehlot told NDTV.

“This has become a business for particular gangs, there needs to be thorough and severe investigation,” he added.

The Centre has referred the matter to the CBI for a comprehensive investigation into the allegations.

Karnataka Minister Calls Incident ‘Unpardonable’

Reacting to the cancellation, Karnataka Minister MC Sudhakar described the development as “an unpardonable incident”.

“This is happening time and again... When this happened previous year, it was said that sweeping changes will be brought in the entire administration of the National Testing Agency,” he said.

Sudhakar said 22,79,000 students had enrolled for the examination, while 22,05,000 appeared for it.

“A major concern is that none of their qualifying exam results are being considered here... I appeal to the Supreme Court and the Government of India to decentralize the whole system and consider the marks of the qualifying exam... The government is responsible for what is happening right now,” he said.

Over 22 Lakh Students Appeared For NEET-UG

NEET-UG, the single entrance examination for admission to MBBS, BDS and other undergraduate medical courses across India, was conducted on May 3 in pen-and-paper mode across more than 5,400 centres in 551 cities in India and 14 cities abroad.

Around 22.79 lakh students appeared for the examination.

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