NEW DELHI: Medical bodies and doctors’ associations on Tuesday demanded sweeping reforms in the country’s medical entrance examination system after the reported cancellation of NEET-UG 2026, with some groups calling for the dissolution of the National Testing Agency (NTA) and action against senior officials.
In a letter to the Prime Minister, the United Doctors Front (UDF) alleged that the “seeds of the 2026 paper leak are hidden in the 2024 paper leak” and claimed that earlier irregularities were not properly investigated.
UDF Chairperson Dr Lakshya Mittal said large-scale scams had surfaced in 2024, but “ministry and NTA officials shamefully protected the culprits” and failed to cooperate adequately with investigators.
The organisation alleged that delays in action against key accused persons in the earlier case reflected “collusion of senior figures at NTA and ministry level”. The UDF demanded the immediate dissolution of both the NTA and the National Medical Commission (NMC), arrest of responsible officials and a comprehensive probe by an “independent agency”.
Calling the current examination structure “extremely unfortunate”, Mittal said conducting examinations through private agencies had “destroyed the credibility of education”. He also criticised the NMC over alleged inspection scams in medical colleges and student duty-hour concerns, saying the regulator had remained silent on issues affecting medical students.
In a separate statement, the UDF said the cancellation of NEET-UG 2026 was “extremely serious and unfortunate”, adding that merely cancelling and re-conducting the exam could not be the “final solution to such a massive scam”. “Repeated incidents over the years clearly indicate the existence of a deep-rooted nexus and systemic failure,” the body said, demanding a “high-level, time-bound, transparent investigation” into the matter.
It further sought strict action against all those involved, including politicians, bureaucrats, middlemen, doctors and the coaching mafia, without political or administrative protection.
The Federation of All India Medical Associations (FAIMA) also attacked NTA, saying the issue had caused distress to lakhs of students and their families. FAIMA chief patron Rohan Krishnan termed the developments “social injustice” for middle-class families aspiring to see a doctor in the household.
‘Repeated disruptions raise anxiety’
FAIMA has called for an immediate announcement of fresh examination dates, warning that repeated disruptions increase anxiety among aspirants and affect academic cycles. The association said the government should “tighten its grip” over the system and comprehensively revamp medical education governance.