Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has strongly advocated for the restoration of state powers to conduct medical entrance examinations, following the cancellation of the NEET-UG 2026 due to a question paper leak. He emphasized that this incident underscores the flaws of a centralized testing system, which he argues disadvantages rural and poor students while undermining the school education system. Over 22 lakh students, including more than one lakh from Karnataka, were affected after months of preparation, leading to significant distress among students and parents. Siddaramaiah described the central government's decision as a betrayal of the youth and called for a transparent investigation into the leak, demanding accountability from officials, including Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, whom he urged to resign. Karnataka's Minister for School Education, Madhu Bangarappa, echoed these sentiments, criticizing the National Testing Agency (NTA) and suggesting its abolition due to repeated failures in handling examinations. He also called for future consultations between the Centre and state governments regarding NEET.