Communist Party of India (CPI) Rajya Sabha MP P. Sandosh Kumar on Tuesday condemned the Union government and the National Testing Agency (NTA) over the cancellation of the NEET-UG 2026 examination following a paper leak, saying the development has pushed lakhs of students into uncertainty and distress. The opposition's sharp reaction came as the Congress also escalated its attack, demanding a fundamental restructuring of the NTA and a Supreme Court-monitored probe.

CPI MP's Demands

Sandosh Kumar minced no words in his assessment of the examination system. "The repeated paper leaks, exam scams and cancellations have completely exposed the collapse of the examination system under this regime. Students who prepared with immense hardship and hope are being made victims of corruption, incompetence and a deeply discriminatory system," he said.

The CPI leader further charged that the Narendra Modi government had "repeatedly trampled upon the aspirations of students while promoting a centralised structure that benefits coaching centres and the privileged at the cost of poor, rural and marginalised students." He declared that "NEET has failed both socially and institutionally."

Demanding urgent corrective measures, Sandosh Kumar called for NEET and the NTA to be scrapped outright. "The examination system should be decentralised in a democratic and transparent manner that respects social justice and the rights of states," he said, adding that a Supreme Court-monitored probe must be instituted and "all those guilty of playing with the future of lakhs of students must be given exemplary punishment."

Congress Escalates Attack on NTA

The Indian National Congress (Congress) separately alleged corruption in the NEET-UG 2026 process and demanded cancellation of the exam. Congress MP and party General Secretary Communications In-charge Jairam Ramesh called the paper leak "only the latest in a series of instances which throw a question mark on the purpose and efficacy of the NTA."

Ramesh cited the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports, whose 371st report noted that in 2024 alone, of the 14 national examinations conducted by the NTA, five saw paper leaks and irregularities. He also pointed to JEE Mains 2025, where 12 questions had to be withdrawn due to errors in the answer key, and the CUET, whose delayed results have, according to Ramesh, "thrown academic calendars of all educational institutions into utter chaos" and pushed students toward private universities with more predictable admission processes.

NTA's Accountability Record Under Scrutiny

Ramesh noted that the Parliamentary Standing Committee had flagged that the NTA has "consistently failed to provide an annual report to Parliament, only providing audited statements." He argued that the Modi government had "destroyed decades-old admissions practices and examinations, replaced it with a centralised body rife with corruption, and ensured that it remains beyond accountability to the Parliament."

Notably, Ramesh recalled that on 16 June 2024, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had himself acknowledged that the NTA "needs a lot of improvement." "Two years later, one must wonder what follow-up action has occurred on this admission," Ramesh said, calling for "not just improvement, but a fundamental restructuring of the NTA and its ecosystem."

What Happens Next

With both the CPI and Congress demanding a Supreme Court-monitored investigation and the scrapping of NEET and the NTA, pressure is mounting on the Union government to respond with concrete reform measures. Lakhs of medical aspirants whose futures hinge on the examination now await clarity on rescheduling and the integrity of the process going forward.