The cancellation of NEET-UG 2026 has triggered outrage and anxiety among lakhs of students across the country, but one of the sharpest reactions came from educator Khan Sir, who launched a blistering attack on the National Testing Agency and accused it of “playing games with the lives of students”.
Reacting to the cancellation of the May 3 medical entrance examination amid allegations of irregularities and paper leaks, Khan Sir questioned the credibility of the NTA, criticised the handling of previous investigations and spoke at length about the emotional and financial toll on students and families.
“This is nothing short of playing games with the lives of lakhs of students. Their confidence is being shattered,” he said.
“The most unfortunate thing is that just two years ago, in 2024, the exact same incidents occurred. A CBI inquiry was conducted, yet it yielded absolutely no results.”
‘NTA SHOULD BE CALLED NEVER TRUSTABLE AGENCY’
Khan Sir accused authorities of repeatedly failing to protect the integrity of national examinations.
“The government agencies should be aware of this. The agency that we have given to conduct the exam, they don’t even understand whether they have been given to conduct the exam or leak it,” he said.
“NTA, National Testing Agency, should be named as Never Trustable Agency.”
In one of his most viral remarks, he mocked the security systems around the examination process.
“The diapers and pampers of kids worth Rs 10, they don’t get leaked, their papers get leaked,” he said.
“And who will investigate this? CBI. When will CBI get rid of us? If this goes to CBI, their investigation will continue till the MBBS of the kids is completed.”
He demanded that a retired Supreme Court judge be appointed to monitor the case.
“A retired judge of the Supreme Court should be made an observer of this. Whoever is responsible should be severely punished. If he is not punished, tomorrow some other state will be named here. Ultimately, the future of the kids will be ruined because of this.”
Khan Sir also called for direct intervention from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Supreme Court.
“The Prime Minister should be personally involved in this. The Supreme Court should also come forward in this,” he said.
‘CHILDREN ARE GOING INTO DEPRESSION’
The educator repeatedly spoke about the psychological impact of the cancellation on students, especially those who had expected high scores.
“Think what will happen to those kids whose marks were coming above 700, whose marks were coming above 650,” he said.
“Every child has his own strength. Some are toppers, some are selectors, some are rankers.”
He warned that students who had prepared intensely for months were now slipping into depression.
“Now the kids are coming to us with depression,” he said.
Khan Sir narrated the story of a student whose mother died in January but who continued preparing for NEET after being encouraged by teachers.
“We motivated him so much. We told him study, everything in your house will become fine if you crack a good exam. Today, how will we go to that kid? We do not have the courage to stand in front of him. He will break.”
He also said the burden was especially severe for female students from conservative families.
“Think about the girls. They are afraid that one phone call from home could end their studies and they may be forced into marriage,” he said.
“There is only one paper leak for NTA. There is a whole life for someone.”
‘POOR FAMILIES ARE SUFFERING’
Khan Sir also spoke about the economic struggles faced by students preparing for competitive examinations.
“NTA people are millionaires, they are sitting at home. There are such kids whose fathers run carts on the roadside,” he said.
“Think about him. Pick him up and send him again 1,500 kilometres away for the exam. How will he give the exam?”
He claimed many students take loans to travel and prepare for examinations.
“When children leave their homes to study, their guardians tell them, ‘We are sending you for one year, we are sending you for two months.’ There is so much pain behind this,” he said.
“Those who live in AC rooms cannot understand how many problems exist in a poor household.”
‘COACHING HAS BECOME A BUSINESS’
Khan Sir also targeted sections of the coaching industry, accusing some institutes of turning education into a business model tied to paper leaks and rank manipulation.
“These people have made coaching a business worth billions,” he said.
“It has become a game for them to get papers leaked. It has become a game for them to bring toppers from somewhere.”
He demanded a thorough probe into coaching networks and examination systems.
“There should be strict action against these people. There should be a proper investigation so that the future of children is not ruined.”
NEET CONTROVERSIES OVER THE YEARS
Khan Sir also referred to previous examination controversies, claiming authorities often make re-examinations excessively difficult after paper leaks emerge.
“In 2024, the paper of NEET got leaked. After that, the kids’ faced a lot of difficulties,” he said.
He also cited the 1997 IIT-JEE paper leak case in Lucknow and the 2015 NEET controversy, claiming students suffered mentally after authorities toughened examinations in response.
WHY WAS NEET-UG 2026 CANCELLED?
The National Testing Agency cancelled the May 3 NEET-UG 2026 examination after allegations of irregularities linked to the test surfaced.
The matter is currently being investigated by the Rajasthan Special Operations Group and other agencies, while the Centre has ordered a CBI inquiry.
The NTA said the examination had originally been conducted under “full security protocol”, including GPS tracking of question papers, biometric verification, AI-assisted CCTV monitoring and deployment of 5G jammers.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
More than 22 lakh medical aspirants are now awaiting clarity on the revised examination schedule.
NTA Director General Abhishek Singh said the fresh dates for the re-examination would be announced within the “next seven to 10 days”.
The agency said students would not have to register again and no fresh examination fee would be charged. Fresh admit cards, however, will be issued.
According to the NTA, existing registration data and examination centre preferences from the May 2026 cycle will be carried forward.
The agency also said the re-examination would now be conducted using its “internal resources”.
LONG HISTORY OF NEET CONTROVERSIES
NEET has repeatedly faced scrutiny over the years over allegations of paper leaks, impersonation scams and examination irregularities.
In 2024, the examination faced massive controversy after allegations of paper leaks and the award of grace marks triggered legal challenges and nationwide protests.
The matter eventually reached the Supreme Court, which declined to order a nationwide re-test in July 2024, saying there was insufficient evidence to establish a systemic breach affecting the entire examination process.
Following the 2024 controversy, the Centre formed a panel headed by former ISRO chief K Radhakrishnan to recommend reforms in the functioning of the NTA and conduct of entrance examinations.
– Ends
Published By:
Sonali Verma
Published On:
May 12, 2026 21:01 IST
