NEET Controversies: Flaws in Centralized Examination Exposed Again

Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin has called for urgent reforms to the NEET exam system, citing repeated leaks and systemic issues. An ordinance to amend the NMC Act and allow state-based admissions has been suggested. The recent NEET-UG 2026 cancellation exposed widespread irregularities affecting students nationwide.

In a drastic call for reform, former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to amend section 14 of the NMC Act, 2019, through an Ordinance. The amendment seeks to exempt NEET for the academic year 2026–2027 and permit state governments to admit students based on qualifying examination marks.

The urgency stems from the shocking cancellation of NEET-UG 2026 after a large-scale paper leak uncovered a nationwide network involved in the malpractice. The scandal revealed deep structural flaws in the centralized system, with question papers leaked across multiple states.

Stalin emphasized that the NEET has historically disadvantaged marginalized students and fuels a commercialized coaching industry over genuine merit. Calls for reform have intensified following multiple arrests, a CBI probe, and protests against the repeated failures of this national exam system.