Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan announced the cancellation of the NEET-UG 2026 exam, which was taken by over 22 lakh students on May 3, due to an alleged paper leak. In his first public comments following the decision, Pradhan emphasized the government's commitment to protecting students' rights, stating, "We will not allow a moneybag to take anybody’s seat away." He acknowledged a breach in the examination process, despite the implementation of recommendations from the Radhakrishnan committee. The National Testing Agency (NTA) will conduct a retest on June 21, 2026, and the exam will transition to a computer-based format from next year. The cancellation has sparked widespread protests and political outrage, reflecting the high stakes involved in the examination process. Pradhan expressed sadness over the incident but reiterated the necessity of the decision to maintain integrity and ensure that the examination is free from malpractices. The government is committed to fixing the issues and ensuring a fair and transparent examination process moving forward.