Protests in India after medical entrance test scrapped over leak claims

BBC:

The cancellation of a crucial exam held earlier in May for admission to medical colleges over allegations of a paper leak has sparked protests in the Indian capital, Delhi.

The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate), known as NEET-UG, is the gateway to studying medicine in India and is required for joining medical colleges across the country.

Nearly 2.28 million candidates wrote the exam on 3 May at more than 5,000 centres across India.

But within days, allegations of a paper leak sparked anger among students and parents, with protests and political backlash mounting through the week.

On Tuesday, the federal government’s National Testing Agency (NTA) – which conducts the exam – said that based on its findings and an ongoing investigation, “the present examination process could not be allowed to stand”.

Fresh dates for a retest have not been announced yet, raising concerns among students and parents over possible delays to the admission process.

Indian media reports suggest investigators believe the alleged leak may have originated in the western state of Rajasthan, days before the exam was held.

A senior Rajasthan police official told news agency ANI that they were looking at a “guess paper”, which was allegedly circulated ahead of the test. A “guess paper” is a set of questions that teachers or coaching institutes predict could appear in an exam, based on past papers and exam patterns.

The official said that the “guess paper” this year contained around 410 questions, about 120 of which are said to have appeared in the chemistry section of the actual exam.

There are four different versions or sets of the NEET paper, each containing 180 compulsory questions divided across physics, chemistry and biology sections.

The case has now been handed over to federal investigators at the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The NTA has said the decision to cancel the exam has been taken “in the interest of students and in recognition of the trust on which the national examination system rests”.

But for millions of aspiring doctors who spent months – and in some cases years – preparing for the test, the announcement has been devastating.

A 17-year-old student from Delhi, who did not want to be named, said the past two years of her life had revolved entirely around preparing for NEET.

She said she had missed family events and social occasions because of coaching classes and mock tests. One mock exam had taken place the same week her grandfather died.

“I don’t know what to do now. We study so hard and spend days and nights working towards our goal and then the exam is cancelled,” she said.

In many Indian cities, students attend expensive private coaching classes to prepare for competitive entrance exams. These classes are separate from school and can add another four hours of study on weekdays and up to eight or nine hours on weekends.

The 17-year-old said she hoped the government would hold the retest within a month to minimise any disruption to admissions.

The cancellation has also brought into focus lapses in India’s examination system, which has faced repeated allegations of leaks and irregularities in recent years.

The cancellation of the exam has been criticised by India’s opposition politicians who have blamed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government for failing to prevent the leaks.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said “the hard work, sacrifices and dreams of the students have been crushed by this corrupt BJP regime”, calling it a “crime against the future of the youth”.

Former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal of the Aam Aadmi Party alleged that the leak reflected “complete collusion”. Earlier, he had said that “paper leak gangs operating under political patronage are shattering these youths’ trust and morale”.

Meanwhile, the student’s wing of the Congress party – called National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) – has been leading protests in Delhi.

Videos of the protest – now viral on social media and broadcast on television channels – show student activists climbing barricades as police pushed them back.

Speaking to reporters at the protest site, NSUI president Vinod Jakhar said “the future of those who prepared for the NEET examination with utmost diligence and integrity has been sold off”.

He – and several other protesters – also demanded the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Pradhan or his ministry has not yet responded to these allegations. Jagdambika Pal, a BJP MP in Uttar Pradesh state, said the “government holds those responsible accountable and ensures strict action against them so that such incidents do not recur”.

The Federation of All India Medical Association, which represents doctors across the country, has also called for immediate accountability over the leak.

This is not the first time NEET has faced controversy. In 2024 too, the exam was hit by allegations of paper leaks, fraud and irregularities in the awarding of grace marks, triggering nationwide protests after thousands of candidates received unusually high scores.