Vijay Renews Demand to Scrap NEET After Exam Cancellation Over Leak Allegations

Chennai, May 2026 : Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on Wednesday stepped up his criticism of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET), calling for the complete abolition of the national medical entrance examination after NEET-UG 2026 was cancelled amid allegations of question paper leaks and widespread irregularities.

Describing the latest controversy as evidence of “deep structural flaws” in the examination system, Vijay urged the Union Government to restore the authority of States to conduct admissions to medical courses based on Class 12 marks rather than a single nationwide entrance test.

The Chief Minister said repeated controversies surrounding NEET had severely shaken the confidence of students and parents across the country. He argued that despite multiple reform promises and committee recommendations, the examination system continued to remain vulnerable to malpractice and manipulation.

The National Testing Agency (NTA) had conducted NEET-UG 2026 on May 3 across 5,432 centres nationwide, including centres in 31 cities across Tamil Nadu. More than 22 lakh students appeared for the examination across India, of whom nearly 1.4 lakh candidates were from Tamil Nadu.

However, the examination was subsequently cancelled following allegations that question papers had been leaked in several regions. The controversy triggered investigations by various law enforcement agencies, and the matter has now been handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Referring to earlier controversies, Vijay pointed out that NEET had also come under scrutiny in 2024 after allegations of paper leaks and irregularities led to FIRs being filed in multiple States and prompted intervention by the Supreme Court. Following that episode, the Union Government had constituted a high-level expert committee headed by former ISRO chairman Dr K. Radhakrishnan to recommend reforms in the examination process.

The committee had reportedly submitted 95 recommendations aimed at improving transparency, security and accountability in the conduct of NEET and other national entrance examinations. However, Vijay said the recurrence of another major controversy within two years showed that the system remained fundamentally flawed.

Reiterating Tamil Nadu’s long-standing opposition to NEET, the Chief Minister said the examination disproportionately disadvantages students from rural backgrounds, government schools, Tamil-medium institutions and economically weaker families.

According to Vijay, the current system increasingly benefits students who can afford expensive coaching centres and urban educational infrastructure, thereby widening social and economic inequalities in access to medical education.

Even before assuming office as Chief Minister, Vijay had strongly campaigned against NEET during the Assembly elections and repeatedly promised to continue Tamil Nadu’s demand for exemption from the examination.

He has consistently maintained that admissions to medical courses should be based on Plus Two marks rather than a centralised competitive examination.

On Wednesday, Vijay renewed his appeal to the Union Government to permanently abolish NEET and allow States to fill MBBS, BDS and AYUSH seats under their respective quotas through Class 12 performance-based admissions.

The latest remarks are expected to further intensify the ongoing political debate over the future of NEET and the role of States in medical admissions policy