NEET-UG: Anxiety, uncertainty grips aspirants & parents

Indore: The cancellation of NEET-UG 2026 has left more than 23,000 students in Indore staring at uncertainty, anxiety and another long phase of preparation after months of intense study.The National Testing Agency’s decision to cancel the country’s largest medical entrance examination following allegations of a paper leak has triggered strong reactions from students, parents and coaching institutes across the city.The impact is significant in Madhya Pradesh, where nearly one lakh candidates had appeared for the examination. In Indore, students who took the test on May 3 said that the announcement came as a major setback, especially for repeat aspirants who had spent an entire year preparing for the exam.NEET aspirant Shashwat Agarwal from Indore said that he had dedicated the whole year to preparation and believed his examination had gone well. “After months of hard work, hearing that the exam has been cancelled is extremely disappointing. Now we have to start preparing again while dealing with uncertainty about the new schedule,” he said.Another student, Khushi Sisodiya, who appeared for NEET for the first time, said the cancellation had created mental stress among aspirants. “Students who prepared for months or took a drop year are feeling shattered. The fear now is whether such situations will continue every year. All our efforts have gone in vain,” she said.Parents also expressed anger over repeated controversies surrounding national-level examinations. Rakesh Maheshwari, father of a candidate, said that families were emotionally and financially exhausted. “Students study day and night for this examination. Coaching fees, test series and preparation involve huge sacrifices. After the 2024 controversy, we hoped lessons had been learnt, but the same situation has emerged again,” he said.Coaching institutes in Indore also questioned the examination process. Coaching director Vijit Jain said that conducting the examination in online mode could reduce the possibility of paper leaks and improve transparency.With the investigation now handed over to CBI, students and parents are demanding a fair and secure re-examination process at the earliest to prevent further academic uncertainty.Dr Yogi Manoj Garg, parent of a NEET aspirant: The cancellation has left parents and students deeply upset. NEET paper leak incidents have surfaced repeatedly over the past few years, yet the system still appears vulnerable. Students prepare for years for an examination of this level, and being asked to go through the entire process again is emotionally drainingKaushik Sanodiya, NEET-UG aspirant: I am disappointed, though there is little students can do in such a situation. After two years of intense preparation, I had finally begun to relax after the exam. Now we have to return to preparation mode once again. In previous re-NEET examinations, the paper has also been tougher, which adds to the anxietyAayushi Sharma, NEET-UG aspirant: It is heartbreaking for students. After months and years of preparation, we suddenly find ourselves back at the starting point. Such lapses in question paper security should never have happened in a national-level examinationVed Prakash Pandey, NEET-UG aspirant: The cancelled examination was comparatively moderate, which could have resulted in higher cut-offs. The authorities should have ensured stronger security and monitoring of question papers. It will not be easy for students to regain the same level of focus and discipline for another examination