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Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday launched a sharp attack on the Centre after the National Testing Agency (NTA) cancelled NEET-UG 2026, which was held on May 3.

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Rahul Gandhi Alleges 'Murder by the System', Promises Action

In a post on X, Rahul Gandhi referred to reports of deaths of NEET aspirants due to the cancellation of the examination. “अब नहीं देनी प्रतियोगी परीक्षा।” लखीमपुर खीरी के 21 साल के ऋतिक मिश्रा के ये आख़िरी शब्द थे। तीसरी बार NEET देने वाला यह बच्चा, परीक्षा रद्द होते ही टूट गया। गोवा में भी एक NEET अभ्यर्थी ने जान दे दी। ये बच्चे परीक्षा से नहीं हारे, इन्हें एक भ्रष्ट तंत्र ने मारा है। यह… — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) May 15, 2026 "No more competitive exams now.' These were the last words of 21-year-old Ritik Mishra from Lakhimpur Kheri. This child, appearing for NEET for the third time, broke down the moment the exam was cancelled," Gandhi said. "In Goa too, a NEET aspirant took his own life. These children didn't lose to the exams--they were killed by a corrupt system. This isn't suicide--it's murder by the system", he said.

The Congress leader further claimed that between 2015 and 2026, there were 148 examination scams across the country, affecting the future of nearly 9 crore students. "From 2015 to 2026--148 exam scams. 87 exams cancelled, the futures of 9 crore children affected," he claimed.

Rahul Gandhi also questioned the lack of accountability, alleging that despite investigations by agencies such as the CBI and ED, no significant punishment had been handed out. "Out of 148 scams, only 1 resulted in punishment. CBI took up 17 cases, ED took 11--no one was punished," he alleged.

Targeting the government, Gandhi asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi how many more such incidents would be needed to ensure accountability. "Modi ji--how many Ritiks will it take to awaken your accountability?" he said.

"My young friends, your pain is my pain. Your hard work is my hard work. Those who steal your future will have to answer. No matter how long it takes, no one will be spared--this is my promise. We will fight this battle together--and we will win", he said.

Govt Announces Re-exam, Promises Transparency

Meanwhile, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Friday announced that the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination would be conducted on June 21.

Addressing a press conference, Pradhan assured students that the government would not allow malpractice to recur and said the Centre remained committed to protecting the interests of students."Our topmost priority is the future of the students, and the government is sensitive towards their hard work and efforts. We will not let malpractice happen this time," he said.

Pradhan also announced that from next year, NEET-UG would be conducted in Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode as part of reforms aimed at improving transparency and preventing examination irregularities.

The National Testing Agency later confirmed the June 21 re-examination date in an official post on X and advised candidates to rely only on official communication channels for updates. (ANI)