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Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay, on Wednesday, called for the abolition of NEET following the leak of the NEET-UG 2026 question paper, asserting that the recurring irregularities have "shattered the hopes" of lakhs of medical aspirants across the country.
"...This cancellation has shattered the hopes of lakhs of medical aspirants across the country. This is not the first time NEET has been compromised. In 2024, the question paper was leaked and FIRs were registered across six States and transferred to the CBI...Within two years, another paper leak has occurred and the examination has been cancelled. This is conclusive proof of flaws and structural flaws in a national-level exam," said Vijay. CM Vijay highlighted previous instances of paper leaks to highlight "structural flaws" in the national examination system, contending that the introduction of NEET has severely disadvantaged students from rural areas, government schools, and Tamil medium backgrounds, as well as those from socio-economically marginalised families. "The Governments of Tamil Nadu, has been consistently and unanimously opposing NEET since its very inception. The introduction of NEET has severely disadvantaged the students from rural areas, Government schools, Tamil medium backgrounds, and socio-economically disadvantaged families," he said. Hence, the Chief Minister reiterated the state's demand to scrap the centralised test and allow states to fill all seats in MBBS, BDS, and AYUSH courses based on Class 12 marks. "The Government of Tamil Nadu reiterates the State long pending demand to abolish NEET and permit the States to fill all seats under the State quota in MBBS, BDS, and AYUSH courses on the basis of Class 12 marks," added the Tamil Nadu CM. The remarks come amid mounting controversy surrounding the NEET-UG 2026 examination paper leak, which has triggered concerns over students' futures across the country. Earlier, the Centre cancelled the NEET-UG 2026 examination conducted on May 3 and announced that the country's biggest undergraduate medical entrance test will be re-conducted on dates to be notified separately. The Centre has also referred the matter to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for a comprehensive probe into the allegations. In a statement, the National Testing Agency (NTA) said the decision was taken after inputs were examined in coordination with central agencies, and findings shared by law enforcement agencies raised concerns over the integrity of the examination process. Following the incident, the Bihar Police on Wednesday busted a gang allegedly involved in the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case. Rajgir DSP Sunil Kumar Singh confirmed the seizure of several mobile phones and laptops containing incriminating digital evidence. According to the police, recovered chats from the devices reveal a clear "money transaction trail" and have identified several medical college students suspected of being part of the syndicate. "...we have seized mobile phones that have chats on them, and laptops. The chats reveal the money transaction trail. It also has information about students of other medical colleges...we have not found any question paper or guess paper on the phones..." Singh told ANI. The NEET exam this year was held on May 3. As per the NTA, 22.79 lakh students appeared for the exam, which was held across 551 cities in India and 14 cities abroad, covering more than 5,400 centres. (ANI)
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