"Govt's taken decision to reconduct NEET-UG 2026, NTA will announce new dates": Education Secretary Sanjay Kumar

New Delhi [India], May 12 : Following the cancellation of NEET-UG 2026 over allegations of a paper leak, Secretary of the Department of School Education and Literacy Sanjay Kumar on Tuesday said that the National Testing Agency (NTA) will soon announce fresh dates for the test.

Speaking toin the national capital, Kumar said, "The government has taken a decision and they are going to reconduct the examination. I guess the National Testing Agency (NTA) will come out with new dates."

Kumar also spoke about the Centre's push to introduce Artificial Intelligence and computational thinking in schools through a revamped curriculum prepared jointly by NCERT and CBSE.

"NCERT and CBSE together have already brought out the new curriculum for computational thinking and Artificial Intelligence, from classes 3 to 8. That has already been introduced. We are going to train the teachers this summer. So, as and when the classes begin after the summer vacation, we start teaching," he said.

He further informed that dedicated AI textbooks are also being prepared for senior classes. "And then, of course, AI books are being made by the NCERT for classes 9, 10, 11 and 12," Kumar added.

The NEET-UG 2026 examination was cancelled amid allegations of question paper leaks, triggering concerns over the integrity of the nationwide medical entrance test.

Meanwhile, several NEET aspirants across the country voiced frustration and disappointment over the cancellation of the examination, saying years of hard work had been affected.

A NEET aspirant from Patna said students were upset over repeated controversies surrounding the examination process.

"2 years of hard work was wasted. We are upset with the NTA because this happened last year as well. Such incidents of paper leak might occur in the future again. The tests should be conducted in online mode. I was expecting over 650 marks and my parents had great expectations with me. The NTA should bring reforms," the aspirant said.

Another aspirant from Patna questioned the functioning of the examination system. "Why does such an issue occur? The NTA should conduct the exam properly and should not ruin our hard work," the student said.

In Rajasthan's Jodhpur, a NEET aspirant supported the decision to cancel the examination and said deserving candidates should get fair results. "This is a correct decision because those who work hard should and will get the result they deserve. Those who did not work hard will not pass through," the aspirant said.

An aspirant from Udaipur in Rajasthan said students who prepare for years suffer due to lapses in the system. "After preparing for 2 years. If they say after 10 days of the exams that the paper will have to be cancelled because it was leaked. Children work hard for 2 years. The people who are leaking the papers in the NTA are responsible," the student said.

In Raipur, Chhattisgarh, another aspirant expressed concern over the emotional and academic impact of the re-examination.

"Almost everyone who appears for NEET starts preparing 2 years ahead... It will create demotivation... My year will get wasted if I don't give the same amount of effort for the second time," the aspirant said.

The NEET-UG 2026 examination was conducted on May 3. However, following allegations of paper leak and other irregularities, the Centre today cancelled the examination and announced that it would be reconducted on dates to be notified separately.

The Government has also referred the matter to the CBI for a detailed investigation into the allegations surrounding the examination process.

NEET-UG, the single entrance examination for admission to MBBS, BDS and other undergraduate medical courses across India, was conducted on May 3 in pen-and-paper mode across more than 5,400 centres in 551 cities in India and 14 cities abroad. Around 22.79 lakh students appeared for the examination.

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