Members of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) stage a protest over the cancellation of the NEET-UG 2026 exam following allegations of paper leak and examination irregularities, in Chennai on Thursday. (ANI Photo)
Nearly two weeks after the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test – Undergraduate (NEET-UG), 2026, exam was conducted and later cancelled, the Central Government has been able to trace the question paper leak to the first stage. This all India high-stakes exam taken by over 22 lakh students for over ten courses in the medical field will now be re-held on June 21.A full re-examination had never been conducted despite recurring controversies. Now, re-examination, for millions of students, could mean battling relentless competition, stress, uncertainty, and psychological pressure. It could disrupt merit, preparation cycles, and mental stability.Since a few years, there have been calls to transform NTA by experts and the general public. To get back its credibility, experts suggest transition of NTA from an examination administrative agency to a research-driven full-fledged digital testing institution, modelled after global entities like Educational Testing Service (ETS), which manages, annually, over 5 crore tests, like GRE and TOEFL.To discuss the topic, The Hindu will host a webinar, ‘Not just NEET, NTA needs revamp’, on May 23, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. The webinar will be moderated by Bindu Perappadan, Senior Assistant Editor, The Hindu; and Maitri Porecha, Senior Assistant Editor, The Hindu.Register now for free to ask questions and interact with the panellists. The three best questions will receive a free online subscription to The Hindu.PanellistsDr. Rajeev Jayadevan, Former President, Indian Medical Association, CochinDr. Rajeev Jayadevan completed his MBBS and MD General Medicine with top honours from Christian Medical College (CMC) Vellore in 1995. He received training in Clinical Epidemiology and Public Health from Erasmus University, Rotterdam, Netherlands. He was awarded MRCP (U.K.) from England in 1996. He obtained Board Certification in Medicine and Gastroenterology (Fellowship) from New York Medical College, and spent three years in the U.K. and ten years in the U.S. before returning to his hometown of Cochin. He established the department of Gastroenterology at Sunrise Hospital, Cochin in 2009.Rajeev Kumar, Academic, ActivistRajeev Kumar, an academician and technology consultant with over 45 years in teaching, R&D, and industry, has served at IIT Kharagpur, IIT Kanpur, BITS Pilani, and JNU. He has also worked as a Scientist at India’s DRDO and DST and was a Visiting Design Engineer at National Semiconductors Germany. He is a motivational speaker, inspiring mentor, and prolific writer shaping policy, institutional excellence, and professionalism in emerging technologies-- AI/ML, Ethics, Cyber Security, IoT, and Multimedia Systems. He writes on the intersections of science, technology, education, society, environment, and governance, under the broader theme of Technology for SocietyKeshav Agarwal, Educationist and Career CounsellorKeshav Agarwal is an educationist and career counsellor with over 26 years of dedicated experience in the Indian education ecosystem. He began his journey as an educator in 1998 — and authored a book on Mathematics at the very outset of his career. He is the Founder of Exemplar Point, a JEE and NEET coaching institute based in New Delhi. He is the President of the Educators Federation and Vice President of the Coaching Federation of India.(For any feedback or suggestions, reach out to us at education@thehindu.co.in) Published - May 20, 2026 04:56 pm IST
