Chandigarh: Medical aspirants across Chandigarh are fighting to sustain their motivation ahead of the June 21 NEET re-examination. While most students agree a fresh test is necessary to ensure fairness, weeks of sudden cancellations, social media rumours, and widespread industry controversies are taking a steep mental toll on those preparing for competitive exams.The re-test was ordered after the original examination was cancelled due to irregularities. Since then, continuous public debates surrounding paper leaks and separate academic issues, such as the recent CBSE On-Screen Marking controversy, have created an overwhelming atmosphere of anxiety for young students.Local aspirant Kashish Bansal, 17, explained that the constant influx of negative education news on social media directly damages student concentration. She noted that most classmates had mentally moved past the exam cycle after May 3 and are now struggling to rebuild their strict daily study discipline from scratch.Fellow student Devansh Sood, 18, agreed that while confidence remains intact, the persistent uncertainty is exhausting. He warned that social media platforms have turned into breeding grounds for conflicting predictions, causing students to overthink and constantly compare their progress against others during a critical preparation window.Parents and academic mentors are also raising concerns about emotional burnout. Outside a tutoring hub in Sector 34, a parent observed visible signs of deep fatigue in children who were previously highly self-assured, noting that repeated extensions drastically amplify the pressure of an already stressful college admissions process.Coaching experts emphasise that the primary battle for students right now is consistency rather than academic capability. Having already peaked for the initial test date, forcing teenagers to repeatedly ramp up their intensity while tuning out online distractions has transformed this medical entrance race into an intense psychological test of endurance.
