Last month, India conducted the "National Entrance Examination for Medical Undergraduate Programs" (NEET-UG 2026), which is the largest medical undergraduate entrance examination in India. However, a large number of questions from this "medical college entrance exam" were leaked, forcing the National Testing Agency of India (NTA) to cancel the results of nearly 2.3 million candidates after the scandal was exposed.
This incident has sparked large-scale protests in India, and has also put the Indian education sector under scrutiny. According to a report by Bloomberg on June 10, the Indian National Examination Agency has decided to conduct the exams again on June 21. To ensure the smooth running of the exams, the Indian government will use air force planes to transport examination papers for the first time, and will implement strict monitoring measures for those involved in setting the questions.
India conducted this year's NEET-UG exams on May 3rd local time. Approximately 2.28 million candidates took the exams at over 5,000 testing centers across India. However, shortly after the exams ended, rumors of test questions being leaked appeared on Indian social media. Many candidates discovered that the test questions from this exam were included in a "mock test paper" that had been circulated a few days prior.
Investigators from the Indian national examination authorities found that the source of the leak could be Rajasthan in western India. The local "mock test papers" contained approximately 120 questions from the NEET-UG exam.
On May 12 local time, India's national examination authority announced that the results of this examination will be cancelled and the examination will be held again. The authority stated: "The cancellation of the results is in the interests of the students and also to maintain the integrity upon which the national examination system is based."
The BBC reported that this decision soon caused dissatisfaction among Indian candidates, leading to large-scale protests in cities like New Delhi. Many people feared that canceling the results would result in the wasted efforts of many Indian candidates and could affect their admission prospects for this year. Some protesters also demanded the resignation of Indian Education Minister Dalmeetra Prawdeen.
On May 14th, local time, in New Delhi, India, members of the All India Students' Association and students protested against the leak of exam questions.
An anonymous candidate from Delhi said that over the past two years, her life has been completely dedicated to preparing for NEET-UG exams, spending time in tutoring classes and taking mock exams. One of those mock exams happened to be held in the week when her grandfather passed away. This candidate called on the Indian government to arrange retests as soon as possible. “I don’t know what to do now. We studied hard, but our exam results were canceled.”
According to Akash Nee, a spokesperson for the All India Medical Association Federation, this incident has sparked doubts among young Indians about the national examination system, undermining their trust in it. He warned, 'Hardworking students will undoubtedly continue to work hard, but in the future, people without any medical knowledge may become doctors by obtaining examination papers in advance.'
Indian opposition parties also took the opportunity to criticize the ruling Indian National Congress Party for failing to prevent the leak of information. Raju Gandhi, leader of the Indian National Congress, described this as a "crime against the future of Indian youth." He criticized, "The hard work, sacrifices, and dreams of the students have been destroyed by the corrupt Indian National Congress government."
The Indian National Examination Authority has announced that the NEET-UG exam will be held again on June 21. Officials familiar with the matter told Bloomberg that to ensure the smooth conduct of the exam, the Indian government will use air force transport to deliver the test papers for the first time. These officials also revealed that the Indian government has imposed strict surveillance on all personnel involved in setting the exams, and their mobile phones and communication devices are restricted.
Clandestine officials said that the Indian Air Force has agreed to the government's request and will provide assistance in accordance with the “assisting local governments” charter. It is expected that the Indian Air Force will dispatch helicopters to transport test papers to more than twenty regions.
Pradhan said on the 9th that Indian Prime Minister Modi is investigating the incident. 'We will correct the mistake and ensure that the exams are conducted smoothly.'
However, this decision has also raised doubts among some people in India. They believe that the Indian government has not used military resources wisely. Manmohan Babu, a retired Indian air force general, stated in a commentary that the Indian government should address the flaws in the examination system instead of relying on the air force to store and transport examination papers. He wrote, “The Indian Air Force is not a courier company.”
Shortly after the leak of questions in the Indian "medical entrance exam," there were also significant issues with the 12th grade graduation exams conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). The CBSE 12th grade graduation exams are an important part of India's "entrance exams," and the results are a fundamental requirement for applying to universities.
According to the BBC, this year’s CBSE XIIth Grade Graduation Examination used a screen-based marking system for the first time. After the results were announced, students who had doubts about their scores and wanted to view the scanned copies of their exam papers could submit applications within a specified time frame. However, many candidates found that the scanned copies sent by the CBSE contained serious issues such as mismatched exam papers and unclear answers, which could affect their scores.
For example, a candidate named Veedant Shrivastava stated that the scanned document he requested was not his own test paper. The handwriting and the content of the answers were completely different. He complained, "I spent a whole year preparing for this exam, sacrificing sleep, rest, and going out. But now I have no idea whether my physics test paper has even been graded at all. Do students really have to endure such things?"
This series of issues has caused strong dissatisfaction among Indian youth. A satirical online movement called the “Slugger People’s Party” has quickly become popular on Indian social media. Its name is a parody of the Indian People’s Party, aimed at voicing the concerns of marginalized unemployed youth.
On June 6th, local time, in New Delhi, India, the “Scorpion People’s Party” held a protest rally. IC photo
Bloomberg reported that the movement originated from a statement by Surya Kant, the Chief Justice of India's Supreme Court. At a hearing last month, Kant referred to some unemployed youths as "parasites" and "rats". Although Kant later argued that some media had "misquoted" his statement, this did not slow down the spread of the "Rats People's Party" movement.
The Indian government is trying to regain public trust, but analysts point out that the escalating protests reflect the dissatisfaction of India’s younger generation with the Modi government’s failure to create enough job opportunities for young people.
American Brown University visiting scholar Yamini Ayar said, "If a system can't even do the most basic things right, how can people have faith in it?" She pointed out that if Indian students and parents no longer believe that success comes from ability and fair competition, then the sense of trust and cohesion that maintains the operation of society will gradually dissolve.
