The cancellation of the NEET-UG 2026 following allegations of a question paper leak has triggered outrage, anxiety and emotional distress among students and parents in Andhra Pradesh.

Aspirants who spent months and even years preparing for the highly competitive medical entrance examination say they are devastated by the uncertainty prevailing over the examination.

Many students described the cancellation as a crushing blow after sacrificing valuable years and investing heavily in coaching.

Panchadarla Harshini, a NEET aspirant from Vijayawada, said she was shattered by the announcement of a re-examination. Ms. Harshini had taken a drop year after completing her Intermediate education integrated with NEET coaching in a private institution in Vijayawada.

Having failed to secure a medical seat last year, she gave another year exclusively to preparation.

“Although rumours about a paper leak surfaced before the exam held on May 3, I initially dismissed them. However, confirmation of the cancellation has left me disappointed,” she told The Hindu.

Another student, Rodda Sathwika, said she had enrolled for an integrated NEET coaching programme during her Intermediate and subscribed to a long-term coaching course after a gap year. “After the cancellation of the exam, it feels that all my efforts have gone in vain,” she said.

Students and parents alike voiced concerns about the emotional toll of repeated irregularities in national-level examinations.

Ashmit Adams, a student from Visakhapatnam who appeared for the exam, said genuine aspirants were paying the price for misconduct of others.

He said lakhs of students who prepared honestly were now paying the price for irregularities beyond their control. “The situation is heartbreaking,” he said, adding that the controversy had crushed the dreams of many deserving candidates.

Mr. Ashmit’s father, James Adams, Director of Dr. Agarwals Eye Hospital in Visakhapatnam, observed that even if the examination is conducted again, students would struggle to maintain the same momentum and continuity in preparation. Parents fear that the delay and uncertainty could affect students’ confidence and mental well-being.

The issue has also triggered strong political reactions. Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Y.S. Sharmila criticised the Central government and accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of failing to ensure fair conduct of national-level examinations.

She alleged that repeated incidents of paper leaks in states such as Gujarat, Bihar, and Rajasthan pointed to the existence of a growing “paper leak network” under the BJP’s rule.

Ms. Sharmila accused the National Testing Agency (NTA) of failing to protect the integrity of the examination process and said that the alleged leak of 122 questions nearly 48 hours before the exam exposed serious lapses in examination management.

APCC Congress vice-president Kolanukonda Shivaji termed the allegations deeply shameful, referring to claims that question papers were allegedly sold for amounts ranging between ₹30,000 and ₹3 lakh.

Meanwhile, the Parents’ Association of Andhra Pradesh demanded a high-level independent investigation into the issue. The association said the inquiry should thoroughly examine NTA’s security systems, the process of preparing question papers, and the possible involvement of coaching centres.

Student organisations have intensified pressure on the authorities. The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) demanded a fair and time-bound probe by Central agencies. Leaders of the Student Federation of India (SFI) condemned what they described as the Centre’s failure to safeguard the sanctity of the examination.

(With inputs from Paul Nicodemus from Visakhapatnam)