Kejriwal invokes Nepal uprising over NEET row; urges Gen Z to protest and seek accountability

ARvind Kejriwal, former new delhi chief government minister, on wed invoked student-led political movements in people's republic of bangladesh and kingdom of nepal while attacking the Centre over the cancellation of NEET-UG 2026, saying Indian youth could also force accountability in cases of paper leaks. His remarks came as opposition parties intensified their criticism of the BJP-led government after the National Testing Agency (NTA) scrapped the medical entrance examination over allegations of a large-scale leak.Addressing a press conference, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief said recurring paper leaks had shaken the confidence of aspirants and questioned whether previous investigations by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had resulted in strict punishment for those responsible.“If Gen Z in countries like Bangladesh and Nepal could change the government, then Indian youth could also ensure accountability in cases of paper leaks,” Kejriwal said. He alleged that the CBI probe into the NEET paper leak “would achieve nothing” and claimed several paper leak incidents had occurred in BJP-ruled states since 2014. He also extended support to protesting students, saying the government “only understands the language of andolan”.Why was NEET-UG 2026 cancelled?The National Testing Agency (NTA) on Tuesday cancelled the NEET-UG examination conducted on May 3 after reports that questions worth nearly 600 marks had allegedly leaked before the test.The examination was held across 551 cities in India and 14 abroad through more than 5,400 centres, with around 22 lakh students appearing for it.The controversy intensified after investigators uncovered what officials described as a nationwide organised network involving coaching centres, hostel operators, impersonators and paper solvers.According to investigators, a third-year BAMS student from Nashik allegedly bought the NEET question paper for ₹10 lakh and later sold it to a contact in Gurugram for ₹15 lakh through courier transfers.Officials said the leaked paper was allegedly used to prepare a 410-question “guess paper”, with around 120 actual NEET questions embedded within it before being circulated through coaching centres, hostels and paid WhatsApp groups.The case has now been handed over to the CBI.Rahul Gandhi alleges ‘organised corruption’Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi accused the BJP-led Centre of allowing “organised corruption” to flourish in the education system and said students’ dreams had been “crushed”.“The hard work, sacrifices, and dreams of more than 22 lakh students have been crushed by this corrupt BJP regime,” Gandhi said in a post on X. He added that students were being forced to bear “mental stress, financial burden and uncertainty” while the “paper mafia” escaped punishment.The Congress party also alleged that examination irregularities had become the “hallmark” of the BJP government, claiming that more than 89 examination papers had leaked during the last 10 years.DMK, Kamal Haasan renew anti-NEET standThe controversy also reignited Tamil Nadu’s long-running opposition to NEET.Kamal Haasan said the hard work of 22 lakh students had been destroyed by “criminal conspiracies” and questioned who would take responsibility for the mental agony faced by aspirants.Haasan said he could not recall “a single NEET exam being conducted without allegations of malpractices” and reiterated demands to move education back to the State List.Meanwhile, DMK spokesperson Saravanan Annadurai claimed the cancellation vindicated the party’s stand against NEET and renewed calls to abolish the examination and base medical admissions on Class 12 marks instead.Students, parents express outrageThe cancellation has also triggered widespread anxiety among students and parents, many of whom said years of preparation had been thrown into uncertainty.Parents complained that while students faced strict biometric checks, clothing restrictions and surveillance at centres, authorities failed to secure the examination system itself.Education counsellors and activists questioned how such a leak could occur despite AI surveillance, GPS-tracked papers, biometric verification and 5G jammers being deployed during the examination process.