Abolish NEET, admit via class 12 marks: Tamil Nadu CM Vijay slams ‘structural flaws’ amid paper leak row

TAmil Nadu chief government minister C chief joseph Vijay on wed called for the straightaway abolishment of NEET, saying that the latest paper leak confirms “structural flaws” in the national medical entrance system.The newly-elected CM’s reaction follows the National Testing Agency's (NTA) decision to cancel the NEET-UG 2026 exam after investigations found the question paper had been compromised. Vijay asked the Centre to allow states to return to a medical admission process based on Class 12 marks, saying that the current system continues to disadvantage rural and government school students.“This cancellation has shattered the hopes of lakhs of medical aspirants,” CM Vijay said in a statement. “This is not the first time NEET has been compromised. Despite recommendations for reforms, another leak has occurred. This is proof of flaws in a national-level exam.”The cancellation exposed “conclusive proof” of systemic flaws in a national-level exam, the Tamil Nadu CM said. CBI arrests 5 suspects in multi-state probeFollowing the exam's cancellation, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested five individuals linked to the leak. The arrests were in Jaipur, Gurugram, and Nashik. Those in custody include Mangilal Biwal, Vikas Biwal, Dinesh Biwal, Yash Yadav, and Shubham Khairnar.Investigators seized mobile phones and laptops for forensic analysis to determine how the paper was distributed. The agency also visited the NTA headquarters in Delhi to collect internal documents.Investigation traces leak to coaching networksThe Rajasthan Special Operations Group (SOG) traced the origin of a “guess paper” to a medical student from Sikar who is currently studying in Kerala. According to investigators, the material was shared through intermediaries, including hostel networks and coaching contacts, before reaching candidates in Rajasthan and nearby regions.One of the accused claimed during transit that “big people are being protected” while smaller figures face arrest, PTI reported.The examination, held on May 3 for over 22 lakh candidates, remains cancelled. The Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) has moved the Supreme Court seeking to replace the NTA with a more secure body. Officials have questioned over 150 candidates and coaching staff so far.Political blame game escalatesCongress leader Rahul Gandhi criticised the Centre over the cancellation. He said the exam system has failed lakhs of students and alleged that “NEET has become an auction” due to repeated paper leak incidents. He accused the government of negligence, saying question papers were allegedly being circulated before the exam. Gandhi also said there have been 89 paper leaks and 48 re-exams in the past decade, calling it a serious breakdown of the examination system.Other leaders from the Congress and Trinamool Congress claimed that some of the arrested individuals had links with the ruling BJP, while circulating photos allegedly showing associations with party leaders.Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot alleged that the accused Dinesh Biwal was connected to the BJP and accused the state government of initially delaying action. The BJP rejected the claims, saying he holds no position in the party.Trinamool Congress MP Kirti Azad also alleged political links between the accused and BJP leaders, intensifying the confrontation between parties.AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal also reacted, asking young students to demand accountability citing repeated paper leak incidents over the years.Rajasthan minister Jhabar Singh Kharra issued an apology for the disruption caused to students.(With PTI inputs)