The cancellation of NEET (UG) 2026 following allegations of a paper leak has triggered widespread frustration and anxiety among students, parents and educators in Telangana, with many calling it a major failure of the examination system.

For Mounika U., a long-term aspirant, the cancellation has been emotionally devastating. “Months and years of my preparation have gone to waste because of a system failure. I did nothing wrong,” she said. Although she is willing to take the examination again, she questioned who could guarantee a fair and transparent process for students.

A NEET (UG) trainer from Secunderabad, G. Vijay Kumar said the alleged paper leak and subsequent cancellation would have serious consequences, particularly for long-term aspirants.

“It is difficult to counsel such young students when a prestigious national entrance examination itself becomes a failure. There is immense pressure and an emotional impact on students,” he said. He added that aspirants should be counselled and given adequate time to recover before reappearing for the examination.

Meanwhile, the Students’ Federation of India (Telangana) termed the controversy an ‘administrative failure’ of the government. Its leader, T. Nagaraju, said the present scandal was a repeat of past incidents because strict action had not been taken after the 2024 paper leak.

“While the officials, middlemen and coaching mafia responsible for the leak must be arrested immediately, the demand by individual States to conduct their own entrance examinations is important. Policies that are transforming education into a corporate business must also be withdrawn,” the student leaders said.

Protests were also planned near the Telangana Secretariat by the Student Islamic Organisation of India along with several NEET (UG) aspirants.

“Repeated failures send a message that the government is incapable of conducting the examination in a fair and transparent manner,” they said.