NEET Paper Leak: Stalin Urges PM Modi to Exempt Exam for 2026-27

Following the NEET-UG paper leak, former TN CM MK Stalin wrote to PM Modi requesting an exemption from the exam for 2026-27. He proposed letting states use Class 12 marks for admissions, citing repeated failures and a CBI probe.

Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK chief MK Stalin on Friday requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to exempt NEET-UG examination for 2026-2027 and allow State governments to make admissions as per the marks obtained in the qualifying examinations, in the wake of cancellation of the competitive exam following a paper leak.

The NEET-UG exam, held on May 3, was cancelled after a paper leak surfaced. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested five individuals in connection with the paper leak and irregularities in conducting the examination. The accused have been sent into a seven-day custody.

Alleging "repeated failures, systemic vulnerabilities, and growing public distrust surrounding the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET)," MK Stalin cited a long list of irregularities in the entrance examinations.

Stalin Proposes TN's Pre-NEET Admission Model

Demanding scrapping of the NEET exam, Stalin proposed Tamil Nadu's pre-NEET admission model, based on class 12 marks. He urged the Centre to pass an Ordinance, allowing state governments to make a decision on the entrance for medical and dental courses.

In a letter to PM Modi, Stalin wrote, "Tamil Nadu's pre-NEET admission model, based on normalised Class XII marks, had consistently ensured broad social representation in medical admissions and enabled first-generation learners from marginalised communities to enter the medical profession. This model played a crucial role in building one of India's strongest public healthcare systems, producing doctors who served effectively in rural and underserved areas. NEET has disrupted this successful ecosystem and has gradually eroded opportunities for disadvantaged communities. Recognising these grave concerns, while I was the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, my government consistently opposed NEET and advocated the restoration of State rights in medical admissions."

He cited the Undergraduate Medical Degree Courses Bill, 2021, passed by the Tamil Nadu Assembly, as a solution, which awaits the President's assent. He said, "Reflecting the democratic will of the people of Tamil Nadu, under my leadership, the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly unanimously passed the Tamil Nadu Admission to Undergraduate Medical Degree Courses Bill, 2021 on two separate occasions - first in 2021 and again in 2022 after its return by the Hon'ble Governor - seeking exemption from NEET and restoration of the State's earlier admission system based on normalised Class XII marks. The Bill was enacted after extensive consultation and was supported by overwhelming evidence demonstrating the adverse impact of NEET on poor, rural, government school, and socially marginalised students in Tamil Nadu."

"While I reiterate my larger demand that NEET should be scrapped, I submit that immediate extraordinary measures are necessary to address the unprecedented crisis affecting the academic year 2026-2027... I request you to rescind NEET examinations for the academic year 2026-27 and allow State Governments to make admissions to medical and dental courses based on the marks obtained in the qualifying examinations. Since Parliament is presently not in session, I request your Government to promulgate an Ordinance under Article 123 of the Constitution of India, amending Section 14 of the National Medical Commission Act, 2019, for the academic year 2026-2027 to dispense with the requirement of NEET," the letter read.

Citing 'Disturbing Pattern' of Irregularities

Listing the previous irregularities in entrance exams, the former Tamil Nadu CM wrote, "Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident. The history of NEET and its predecessor examinations reveals a disturbing and consistent pattern of irregularities: In 2015, the All India Pre-Medical Test (AIPMT), the predecessor to NEET, witnessed a massive paper leak facilitated through Bluetooth-enabled cheating devices and organised rackets. The Hon'ble Supreme Court was compelled to cancel the entire examination affecting nearly six lakh students, and a re-examination had to be conducted."

He also cited the inter-state paper leak allegations in 2016, and "impersonation, discriminatory enforcement of dress codes, and translation errors in regional-language question papers," in 2017

The DMK leader further highlighted the role of "solver gangs," alleging an organised criminal network behind irregularities in the examination. "Between 2020 and 2021, several solver gangs and impersonation rackets were uncovered across different states. Dummy candidates appeared for students, biometric systems were manipulated, and organised criminal networks operated with the alleged support of coaching centres and local facilitators.

In 2021, the NEET-PG counselling process faced extraordinary delays of over 6 months, leaving thousands of postgraduate medical seats vacant and severely affecting healthcare delivery and students' academic futures.

In 2022, another organised impersonation and cheating racket led to multiple arrests by the Central Bureau of Investigation," he wrote.

He stressed the "unusually high numbers of perfect scores, arbitrary grace marks, suspicious clustering of toppers in select centres" in the 2024 NEET-UG examination, which triggered nationwide protests and came under judicial scrutiny.

NEET's Impact on Disadvantaged Students

Stalin highlighted that the burden of "repeated failures falls disproportionately on poor and rural students," stating that "NEET has effectively transformed medical admissions into a highly commercialised, coaching-centre-driven process in which economic privilege increasingly determines success rather than genuine academic capability or social commitment."

Taking a dig at the coaching industry, he added, "The structure and pattern of the examination overwhelmingly favour students from affluent urban families who possess access to expensive private coaching institutions, study materials, repeated mock tests, and residential preparation centres. The coaching industry built around NEET has grown into a massive commercial enterprise worth more than Rs 70,000 crores and is projected to expand exponentially in the coming years. Clearing NEET today has, in practice, become nearly impossible without years of specialised coaching that costs several lakhs of rupees annually. This has created an unjust educational divide where students from economically weaker families are forced to compete against candidates equipped with enormous financial and institutional advantages."

Centre Mulls Re-examination

Earlier on Thursday, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan chaired the first high-level meeting with senior officials as the Centre aims to hold a re-examination of the NEET-UG. The discussions during the meeting primarily focused on the NEET re-examination, for which fresh dates are yet to be announced. (ANI)

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