Karnataka urges restoration of states’ powers to conduct NEET after paper leak

The Union government cancelled the NEET-UG 2026 examination after a question paper leak, affecting more than 22 lakh students nationwide, including over one lakh from Karnataka. Siddaramaiah and others criticized the move; the Chief Minister urged immediate clarity on the revised schedule and highlighted the impact on families who had prepared and spent on coaching and travel.

Education Minister Madhu Bangarappa criticised the National Testing Agency, saying it should be abolished and that the Centre should consult state governments on NEET in the future. He called the paper leak a great tragedy, described the re-examination as a bulldozing act, and noted that six leaks have allegedly occurred since the NTA’s formation, urging the Prime Minister to take responsibility.

In a statement issued by the Chief Minister’s Office, he argued for restoring the powers of states to conduct such entrance examinations, stating that the centralised testing system revealed its weaknesses. He described the NEET cancellation as not merely an administrative failure but a cruel betrayal of the country’s youth, and demanded a transparent, time-bound investigation into the paper leak with punishment for those responsible. He also asked the Centre to provide immediate clarity on the revised examination schedule and called for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan for not responding to concerns raised by students and parents.

Siddaramaiah stated that he had opposed NEET in 2024 itself, arguing that the examination was unjust to rural and poor students, weakened the school education system and snatched away the powers of states in admissions.