‘Structural flaws exposed’: Vijay calls for NEET to be abolished after paper leak | India News
New Delhi: Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu C Joseph Vijay said that the cancellation of the NEET-UG 2026 exam exposed “structural flaws” in the system and demanded that the exam be cancelled.Vijay said that governments in Tamil Nadu had “frontally and unanimously” opposed the introduction of NEET, arguing that it had “severely disadvantaged students from rural areas, government schools, Tamil medium backgrounds and socio-economically backward families”. He urged states to allow admission of medical students on the basis of 12th class marks.The National Testing Agency canceled the NEET-UG exam on Tuesday, May 3, citing a paper leak. The decision left more than 22 lakh medical aspirants uncertain about their future and triggered mass protests demanding accountability and the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.The CBI has arrested Mangilal Biwal, Vikas Biwal and Dinesh Biwal from Jaipur, Yash Yadav from Gurugram and Shubham Khairnar from Nashik. Officials said more arrests are likely as the investigation expands across several states.While being taken to Delhi for questioning, an accused from Jaipur said, “Bade lagan ko bachaya jata aur aam aadmi ko parashan kya jata hai (The big man is protected, while the common man is harassed).”Investigators seized mobile phones, laptops and other digital devices during the raid. The devices will undergo forensic tests to find out how the alleged question papers were circulated before the exam.The Rajasthan Police’s Special Operations Group, which first started investigating the case, said the “assumption letter” came from a medical student from Sikar studying in Kerala. Officials alleged that the material was distributed among coaching students and hostel residents before being circulated to candidates in Jaipur and nearby districts.Authorities have questioned more than 150 students, parents and coaching assistants across Rajasthan. Investigators suspect that the leak may have originated in Nashik before passing through Gurugram and Rajasthan.Political tensions also rose following allegations by Congress and Trinamool Congress leaders that some of the accused had ties to the BJP. Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot claimed that Dinesh Biwal was a BJP worker and accused the state government of trying to suppress the case. BJP leaders have denied the allegations, with state vice-president Mukesh Dadhich saying Dinesh has no party post.Meanwhile, protests broke out in several states, with Congress workers burning effigies of chiefs and student groups including NSUI, AISA, ABVP and SFI and demanding strict action and more transparency in competitive exams.
