The cancellation of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET)-UG 2026 examination following alleged question paper leak has caused widespread political and student outrage in Kerala.

V. Sivankutty, General Education Minister in the outgoing Left Democratic Front (LDF) government, said the cancellation of the examination, which determines the future of lakhs of medical course aspirants across India, has exposed the “grave negligence and lack of vigilance” on the part of Union government agencies that are responsible for conducting the test. He also accused the Centre and the National Testing Agency (NTA) of mishandling the examination process and undermining the credibility and transparency of the national testing system.

According to him, the cancellation has caused severe mental and financial distress to students and parents, particularly those from economically weaker backgrounds, who had spent months preparing for the highly competitive examination. He also expressed concern over the uncertainty created by the announcement of a fresh examination date. While the NTA has promised that a revised schedule would be announced and examination fees refunded, Mr. Sivankutty said such measures would not compensate for the emotional and academic losses suffered by the students.

Psychological stress

“The psychological stress caused to children by this uncertainty is enormous. The refund of examination fees alone cannot compensate for the damage suffered by the students,” he stated in a Facebook post.

Major student bodies, including the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) also demanded a thorough investigation and strict legal action against those responsible for the alleged irregularities, even as they differed sharply in their political interpretation of the controversy.

SFI sees nexus between govt. and coaching centres

The SFI, which termed the alleged question paper leak a grave lapse that undermines the future of lakhs of students preparing for medical education, alleged that the NTA and the Union Education Ministry have failed in ensuring the sanctity of the examination process. They also accused the Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government of promoting the commercialisation of education, and alleged a nexus between the government and “coaching centre mafias.” Besides, the repeated controversies surrounding examinations conducted by the NTA have raised serious concerns regarding the transparency and reliability of national-level entrance tests. In a statement, SFI Kerala unit president M. Sivaprasad and State secretary P.S. Sanjeev warned of intense protests against the purported attempts to strengthen “money power” in all sectors of education. They demanded that a comprehensive investigation be conducted into the irregularities, and also called for stringent legal action against those found guilty.

Grave injustice: ABVP

Meanwhile, the ABVP also voiced serious apprehension over allegations concerning the confidentiality and credibility of the NEET-UG examination. In its statement, the organisation asserted it would accept no compromise on the transparency of national-level entrance examinations. It added that if question papers or related confidential information had indeed been leaked before the examination as suspected in the particular case, it would amount not only to sabotage of the examination system, but also a grave injustice to lakhs of hard working students. ABVP national general secretary Virendra Singh Solanki demanded that the Union government ensure a fair, impartial and time-bound investigation involving Central agencies. It also called for strict legal action against “exam mafias.”