HYDERABAD: The cancellation of NEET-UG 2026 following allegations of a question paper leak has left aspirants across Telangana anxious and disappointed, with many students saying years of preparation have been overshadowed by uncertainty.
Around 71,500 students from Telangana appeared for the examination at 199 centres across 24 districts. Hyderabad alone had 69 centres, where 28,024 candidates took the exam.
The controversy erupted after the National Testing Agency (NTA) announced on Tuesday that NEET-UG 2026 had been cancelled and would be re-conducted following an investigation by the Rajasthan Special Operations Group into allegations of a paper leak. Fresh exam dates and revised admit card schedules will be announced later.
Students questioned why aspirants continue to suffer due to repeated systemic failures, recalling the NEET 2024 controversy and alleging that repeated irregularities are eroding trust in national-level examinations.
Zoya Khan, an aspirant from Jagtial, said the incident had caused severe mental stress. “This was my third attempt, and I thought I would crack the exam this time as the paper was easy. Authorities do not understand the emotional pressure students go through,” she said.
Another student, B Sunny from Nizamabad, said the cancellation announcement came as a shock after the exam had gone well. “We do not know when the exam will happen again or how to mentally prepare for another attempt,” he said.
Akshaya, a Hyderabad-based aspirant who had taken a year off exclusively for preparation, termed the decision unfair. “The paper was leaked in Rajasthan, and I do not understand why everyone has to write the exam again,” she said.
SFI State Secretary Nagaraju blamed excessive centralisation in education for the crisis and demanded that states be given authority to conduct examinations independently.
Healthcare Reforms Doctors Association (HRDA) Telangana president Dr Karthik Nagula described the cancellation as a serious failure of the examination system and demanded strict criminal action against those responsible for leaks and malpractice.
Similar concerns were raised by TPCC Medical and Health Wing State Chairman Dr M Rajeev and parents of aspirants, who demanded transparency, accountability and stronger safeguards to protect the integrity of national-level examinations.
