India has cancelled its national medical entrance examination. Another question paper leak, another round of outrage, and still no official held accountable. The cancellation of NEET-2026 has plunged more than 23 lakh students and their families into uncertainty, reigniting a debate about systemic dysfunction at the National Testing Agency, which administers the exam.“Heads should have rolled in 2024, when there was information about a paper leak,” says student counsellor Manickavel Arumugam. “The allegations were brushed under the carpet. Had we dealt with it in 2024, it would not have happened again. NTA should at least have introduced reforms and considered shifting to a phased computer-based test such as JEE instead of conducting a pen-and-paper exam for so many students.”Over the years, NEET has seen impersonation scams, question paper leaks, errors, and correction goof-ups. Its systems and processes have been debated in state assemblies, Parliament, courts, and the media. Yet little has changed. Several agencies, including CBSE, have been placed in charge of the test at different points. But unlike CLAT, CUET or JEE, NEET — which has the largest student base of any entrance exam — has remained the most persistently controversial.The consequences of cancellation extend beyond a postponed exam date. Coaching centres have begun rescheduling crash courses ahead of the re-examination, expected in July or Aug. “I took a year-long course. After writing the NEET exam, I thought it was over,” says S Sanjay, who completed Class XII in 2025. “I will probably have to do another refresher just to write the exam again. My parents may have to pay for crash courses and mock tests again.”The disruption cascades through the medical education system. The National Medical Commission mandates that the academic year begin by Aug 1, with a month-long foundation course before core coursework starts on Sept 1. Delays in exams, results, and admissions force colleges to compress the academic calendar. “Teachers rush through portions. Co-curricular activities are cut down, and there are no holidays for at least the first two years of the course,” says K Karthikeyan, an MBBS student beginning his internship.Hospitals feel it too. Final-year medical students serve as interns for a year, forming a critical layer of the workforce in govt hospitals. When batches start late, gaps open between outgoing and incoming interns. “The next batch ends up coming in about four months after the previous batch leaves. It affects service,” says a senior professor at a govt medical college.The career toll compounds with each passing year. Students who begin late finish late — and often miss postgraduate exam cut-off deadlines, forcing a year-long wait before they can begin PG preparation. “Before students appear for the next exam, govt must initiate action against those responsible,” says Dr V N Alagavenkatesan, parent of NEET aspirant Vimela Venkatesan.For students such as M S Srinivasan, the systemic failure has shaken their faith entirely. “I’ve started looking at alternatives to study medicine abroad,” he says. Yet most know they have little choice but to try again — in India, the white coat, for now, comes only one way.
