Tamil Nadu CM Calls for NEET-UG Scrapping After Paper Leak

NEW DELHI: Tamil Nadu chief minister C Joseph Vijay said the cancellation of the NEET-UG 2026 examination exposed “structural flaws” in the system and demanded for the test to be scrapped. Vijay said governments in Tamil Nadu had “consistently and unanimously” opposed NEET since its introduction, arguing that it had “severely disadvantaged the students from rural areas, government schools, Tamil medium backgrounds, and socio-economically disadvantaged families”. He called for states to be allowed to admit medical students based on Class 12 marks instead. The National Testing Agency cancelled the May 3 NEET-UG examination on Tuesday following allegations of a paper leak. The decision has left more than 22 lakh medical aspirants uncertain about their future and triggered widespread protests demanding accountability and the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The CBI arrested Mangilal Biwal, Vikas Biwal and Dinesh Biwal from Jaipur, Yash Yadav from Gurugram and Shubham Khairnar from Nashik. Officials said more arrests were likely as investigations widened across several states. While being taken to Delhi for questioning, one of the accused in Jaipur said, “Bade logon ko bachaya jata aur aam aadmi ko pareshan kiya jata hai (Big people are protected, while ordinary people are harassed).” Investigators seized mobile phones, laptops and other digital devices during raids. The devices will undergo forensic examination to trace how the alleged question papers circulated before the examination. Rajasthan Police’s Special Operations Group, which first began probing the case, said the “guess paper” originated from a medical student from Sikar studying in Kerala. Officials alleged the material was shared among coaching students and hostel residents before spreading to candidates in Jaipur and nearby districts. Authorities questioned more than 150 students, parents and coaching associates across Rajasthan. Investigators suspect the leak may have originated in Nashik before being routed through Gurugram and Rajasthan. Political tensions also escalated after Congress and Trinamool Congress leaders alleged that some of the accused had links with the BJP. Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot claimed Dinesh Biwal was a BJP functionary and accused the state government of attempting to suppress the case. BJP leaders denied the allegations, with state vice-president Mukesh Dadhich saying Dinesh held no party post. Meanwhile, protests erupted in several states, with Congress workers burning effigies of Pradhan and student groups including NSUI, AISA, ABVP and SFI demanding stricter action and greater transparency in competitive examinations.