The National Testing Agency’s decision to reconduct NEET following reports of a paper leak has left lakhs of students and parents distressed, with many saying years of preparation, financial investment and emotional effort have been thrown into uncertainty.
The May 3 examination will now be held again for all 22 lakh registered candidates after reports of a leak surfaced. According to reports, the leak originated in Rajasthan and spread to other states, with complaints reaching the NTA on May 8. Students across Mumbai said the announcement has shattered morale after months of intense preparation.
“My daughter was sobbing all day, and I had to come back from work to pacify her. It’s the students who worked hard, studied for 15 hours a day, who will suffer. After the NEET, we had plans to go abroad to give our daughter a short break, but it has all been cancelled, and she has already begun studying again,” a Worli-based parent told mid-day.
Parents questioned why all candidates were being made to retake the examination instead of action being limited to those allegedly involved in unfair practices.
“We have gone through many difficulties to raise this sum, and yet everything remains uncertain. Why are all the students being punished for the leak?” said Imtiyaz Khan, a Malad-based parent. Others said students are mentally exhausted after months of pressure.
“This patch of exams is generally very tough for parents and students alike. We believed that our daughter would fare well in these exams, but now these scores are not being considered. The children are devastated, my daughter is stating that she doesn’t have the energy to take another attempt, so now we have to encourage the young ones,” said a Navi Mumbai-based parent.
NEET retest at a glance
>> Original NEET exam held on May 3
>> Reports of paper leaks surfaced later
>> Leak allegedly traced to Rajasthan
>> Complaints reached NTA on May 8
>> Retest to be conducted for all 22 lakh candidates
>> Admit cards and registration details remain unchanged
Financial and emotional impact
>> Parents claim annual preparation costs range between Rs 5 lakh and Rs 6 lakh
>> Students reportedly studied up to 15 hours daily
>> Families cancelled post-exam holidays and travel plans
>> Students now face renewed preparation pressure
Expert Speak
Sudha Shenoy, a NEET counsellor
‘The students will be competing with the same set of people and the same syllabus, so it’s crucial that they don’t stress out. It is vital to view this as a golden opportunity to work on your preparation, considering that the NTA would give them at least 30-45 more days before the retest’
Dr Santosh Kadam, IMA Maharashtra, past president
‘The NEET examination was cancelled due to reports of a paper leak. More than 20 lakh students, who are in their tender adolescent years, will suffer. This is a mental trauma for them. They will again have to prepare for and appear in such a competitive exam. The CBI is probing the matter. This is a failure of the NTA and, eventually, the education department of the central government. Responsibility must be fixed for such a major failure, and accountability should be ensured’
Student Speak
Paridhi Rajgrahia, NEET aspirant from Worli
‘After the paper, I saw several students across the internet state that they expected 720 and even finished their paper 25 minutes prior. I was wondering what I did wrong, since the paper was quite lengthy this year, and then the paper leak news came out. Getting back to the same momentum in such a short time is definitely going to take a toll on us. Who is to say that the paper won’t be leaked again?’
Arnav Deshmukh, NEET aspirant from Dombivali
‘On May 3 I heaved a sigh of relief, thinking I could let go of the pressure. However, the news of paper leaks started surfacing and I was stressed about a retest. Now that’s happening. However, I’m happy still that the retest is being conducted because deserving students should get a fair chance. Students who genuinely studied hard and scored in the 640s could lose out on admissions because of the leak, so a retest is the fairest option for us’
