Paper leak, re-NEET and trauma: What's the mental cost of India's medical entrance exam crisis

It was a blistering afternoon on May 12 but Shalini Jha sat glued to her television and tracked every news channel that reported on the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) paper leak. She constantly checked the notifications on her phone and toggled between different apps — from Telegram to Instagram to X. The ticker on a news channel read: “NTA cancels NEET 2026.” Jha switched off the television and went to the kitchen, but she couldn't pick anything to drink or eat. The former aspirant in her couldn't stay calm as she imagined the trauma of thousands who had appeared for the exam. Some students cried as the news of the exam cancellation broke, some went numb, some angrily came out on the streets and a few succumbed to the distressing news - as over 22 lakh candidates dealt with the same trauma.

Since the leak, as many as five students have died by suicide. Some doubted their ability to perform again, others were exhausted and hopeless. An 18-year-old aspirant, Akanksha Chaturvedi from Madhya Pradesh, left a note stating, “I no longer have the courage to take the NEET exam again.” Ritik Mishra from Uttar Pradesh and Anshika Pandey died by suicide because they felt confident of clearing the cutoff this time and were hopeless after the paper leak was reported. Pradeep Mahich from Rajasthan, whose father worked as a daily wage labourer, decided to end his life as his family sustained extreme financial burden for his NEET coaching.

Also Read: 'Maa Papa I have ruined you: NEET aspirant dies by suicide ahead of re-examination

WION speaks to students and former aspirants

The National Testing Agency (NTA) announced cancellation of the NEET-UG examination, that was held on May 2, 2026 after acknowledging the paper leak. “On May 3, I felt that it was finally an end to late night studies and days of isolation for preparation. I knew I would make it. When paper-leak was confirmed, the fear of starting from scratch gripped me. It was my third attempt, I didn't know what I would do next," a teary Anupriya Raj, NEET student from Patna, told WION. Divya Keshri, another NEET aspirant, who appeared for the exam this year, said that paper leak controversies can shake the confidence of even the strongest students, as their futures are put at risk by factors beyond their control. “Many of my school friends have already moved on and joined college, while I am still preparing for the same exam. At times, that makes me feel lonely and left behind.”

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Raj's parents, seated beside her, refuse to speak. Jha, a former NEET aspirant, shares that parents blame themselves in such a scenario. “The news of suicides coupled with the necessity of telling their children to choose the medical profession creates mental stress for parents too,” she says. She explains that parents sometimes end up pressurising their children for these exams because they want a better life for them, however, such leaks exposes the children to realities even before they step into the real world. Explaining the student psychology, Surbhi Singh, a school teacher from Bihar, says that students are fearful of choosing medicine as a career. “Students preparing for exams are already under stress due to the expectations placed on them. Instances like paper leak break their confidence further,” she says.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is investigating the paper leak case and has arrested 13 individuals from across multiple cities including Delhi, Jaipur, Gurugram, Nashik, Pune, and Latur. Singh says, “Arrests are welcomed, but will it ensure such thing do not happen in future?” Dr Asfia Tabassum, a practicing doctor from Bihar, adds on: "Everyone knows how flawed the system is. Parents and students fight every year with the same system but there's no way out.”

What students and former aspirants said about re-NEET?

The re-examination is scheduled for June 21. Abhishek Singh, director of the NTA, said that the agency was taking responsibility for the incident and was not shying away from accountability. He also informed that the Indian Air Force (IAF) will be engaged to transport question papers for the NEET re-examination. He assured students that the upcoming NEET examination would be conducted with stronger security measures and greater transparency and urged aspirants to remain focused on their preparation.

Also Read: After NEET-UG 2026 leak, NTA plans ‘zero-trust’ system to overhaul question paper setting: What does it mean?

The NTA director's statement does little to assuage the trauma of the students. “What if I am unable to score this time. The fear of starting again is unbearable. No matter how much I try, self -doubt creeps in. With system not in place, our focus is gone. What if there's again a leak after re-examination,” Raj asks. “I am not only fighting for a medical seat, but also for mental peace,” she adds. Tabassum points out that re-examination due to any reason is traumatising. “When I was appearing for NEET in 2016, they suddenly changed the pattern and re-conducted the paper. Although it wasn't a leak, but re-examination due to any reason is traumatising.” ”After the exam, I finally felt a sense of freedom after years of hard work and sacrifice. But due to Re-NEET, it feels like everything has been reset, and I have to begin again from zero," says Keshri.

What students and former aspirants want from authorities?

Indians want authorities to fix the system. Simran Chandravanshi, an angry corporate employee from Delhi, who couldn't stop herself from raising her voice against paper leak, blames the system for these deaths. “The government should prioritise student welfare and educational reforms to ensure that competitive exams do not become a threat to young lives. Repeated concerns about exam stress, paper leaks, and irregularities have not been addressed effectively, it is time that authorities act swiftly." Jha compares the NTA with the competitive examinations in other countries. She says, "System is not flawed elsewhere. Aspirants elsewhere are not fearful that there will be a scam or paper leak. So, the biggest responsibility lies on the shoulder of the government, without a doubt."

Also Read: After NEET paper leak scandal, govt may cap attempts and impose age limit on aspirants: Report

Filled with immense disappointment, Chandravanshi, Jha and Tabassum asks, “Why are we waiting and what are we waiting for? We shouldn’t wait for next paper leak to take action, this is the time.” Jha adds that steps should be taken to clear the mess of the entire education system of the country as paper leaks are not confined to NEET. Several state level PSCs face the same fate every year, she says.