The Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Communist Party of India on Tuesday condemned the alleged leak of the NEET-UG 2026 examination paper and the subsequent decision to scrap the May 3 exam and conduct it again, describing the episode as a serious failure of the examination system and a blow to lakhs of students.

In separate statements, both parties expressed concern over the incident’s impact on students, with the CPI(M) noting that nearly 22 lakh candidates had been subjected to “unnecessary psychological pressure” for no fault of theirs. It said paper leaks were the result of “connivance of corrupt and vested interests” who were insensitive to students’ concerns.

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The CPI(M) said such incidents were not isolated and had recurred since the conduct of examinations was entrusted to the National Testing Agency (NTA). It called for the NTA to be disbanded and for examinations to be decentralised, with responsibility handed back to government agencies as in the past. The party also demanded a comprehensive enquiry into the leak, strict punishment for those responsible, and immediate measures to safeguard the future of affected students.

‘Exam system collapse’

The CPI, meanwhile, condemned the cancellation of the NEET-UG 2026 examination in the wake of the alleged paper leak and other irregularities, and said lakhs of students who had prepared under difficult circumstances were being “punished” due to the “total failure” of the NTA and the Union government.

Describing the episode as part of a pattern, CPI general secretary D. Raja said repeated paper leaks, examination scams, and cancellations pointed to a “collapse” of the examination system. He accused the government of undermining the aspirations of students and promoting a system that benefited coaching centres and more privileged students at the expense of poor and rural candidates.

Mr. Raja reiterated CPI’s opposition to NEET, calling the examination “unjust and discriminatory”, and argued that the latest developments underscored the inability of a centralised system to ensure fairness or credibility. He called for both NEET and the NTA to be scrapped, and for a decentralised, transparent examination framework to be put in place instead.