Communist Party of India (CPI) general secretary D. Raja said repeated paper leaks, cheating and cancellation of exams point to the “collapse” of the examination system. File | Photo credit: ANI
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 cancel the May 3 exam and conduct it again, describing the episode as a serious failure of the examination system and a blow to millions of students.
In separate statements, both parties expressed concern over the impact of the incident on students, with the CPI(M) noting that nearly 22,000 candidates were subjected to “unnecessary psychological pressure” through no fault of theirs. It said the paper leaks were the result of “collusion by corrupt and impersonal interests” who were indifferent to students’ concerns.
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The CPI(M) said such incidents were not isolated and repeated as the conduct of examinations was entrusted to the National Testing Agency (NTA). She called for the dissolution of the NTA and the decentralization of examinations, saying responsibility would be handed back to government agencies as in the past. The party also demanded a comprehensive investigation into the leak, strict punishment of those responsible and immediate measures to protect the future of the affected students.
“The Collapse of the Examination System”
Meanwhile, the CPI has condemned the cancellation of the NEET-UG 2026 examination due to the alleged paper leak and other irregularities, saying that thousands of students who were preparing under difficult circumstances were “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 the “collapse” of the investigation system. He accused the government of undermining the aspirations of students and supporting a system that benefits coaching centers and more privileged students at the expense of poor and rural candidates.
Reiterating the CPI’s disapproval of NEET, Mr. Raja termed the examination “unfair and discriminatory” and argued that the latest development underscored the inability of the centralized system to ensure fairness or credibility. He called for scrapping both NEET and NTA and introducing a decentralized, transparent examination framework instead.
Published – 12 May 2026 22:21 IST
