Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], May 24 : Tamil Nadu Youth Congress workers on Sunday staged a protest march towards Lok Bhavan in Chennai against the alleged NEET UG 2026 paper leak, demanding the scrapping of the national medical entrance examination and accusing the system of favouring economically privileged students.
Leading the protest, Indian Youth Congress National Secretary Joshua Gerard strongly criticised the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), alleging repeated paper leaks and systemic inequality in the examination process.
"Every year, 22-24 lakhs youngsters write the NEET exam and in the last 12 years, more than 5 times that papers have been leaked. We strongly condemn this, and we demand that NEET exams be banned across India. It is against poor people...the tuition centres charge around Rs 1-2 lakh every year. NEET ensures that only rich people can become doctors in this country," Gerard told ANI.
Issuing a warning of intensified protests, Gerard added, "If it is not banned, we will organise gheraos across every assembly in India."
The protest comes amid growing nationwide outrage over the NEET UG 2026 paper leak controversy.
Meanwhile, the Rouse Avenue Court in Delhi on Sunday sent accused Shubham Khairnar to judicial custody till June 6 in connection with the case. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had produced him before the court earlier in the day.
The controversy has also drawn parliamentary attention. On May 21, National Testing Agency (NTA) Director General Abhishek Singh appeared before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports to brief members on the paper leak investigation and examination reforms.
According to sources, committee members raised concerns regarding vulnerabilities in the examination process, including questions related to computer-based testing infrastructure, exam frequency, and accountability for lapses. Officials informed the panel that a CBI investigation was underway to identify loopholes and strengthen the system.
Chairman of the committee and Congress leader Digvijaya Singh said members were "very concerned" about the issues discussed during the meeting.
NEET UG 2026, conducted on May 3 across 551 Indian cities and 14 international locations for over 22 lakh candidates, was cancelled on May 12 following allegations of a coordinated paper leak. The re-examination is scheduled for June 21, with enhanced security measures in place.