Karnataka Govt Targets NEET, Says States Should Conduct Their Own Entrance Exams

Bengaluru

-Madhuri Adnal

Updated: Wednesday, May 13, 2026, 12:58 [IST]

Political leaders in Karnataka sharply attacked the Union government over the cancellation of NEET UG-2026 after reports of question paper leaks and irregularities. They claimed the decision damaged the future of lakhs of medical aspirants, including more than one lakh candidates from Karnataka who had taken the exam in April.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said the move betrayed students who had prepared for months and whose families had made heavy financial commitments. Siddaramaiah posted on X, calling the decision “a cruel betrayal of the youth”. The post said the cancellation had thrown more than 22 lakh aspirants across India into confusion.

NEET UG 2026 cancellation and impact on students

Siddaramaiah wrote that families had spent on coaching, travel and stay expecting a fair selection process. According to the post, “Students worked hard for months, while parents spent on coaching, travel and other expenses with the hope of a fair exam. In one stroke, the Union government has pushed them back into uncertainty and distress,” he said.

Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said the last-minute decision to scrap NEET UG-2026 had shaken students’ confidence. Shivakumar described the cancellation of NEET as “a huge disgrace” and said it had left lakhs of young people who planned medical careers unsure about their next steps despite years of study.

Political criticism over NEET UG 2026 cancellation

Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Shivakumar said many aspirants had spent several years preparing with clear goals for their future, yet the cancellation placed them back at the starting line. The DCM accused BJP leaders of remaining silent and demanded that BJP MPs and Union ministers accept responsibility for the failure.

Shivakumar also named former Karnataka minister CN Ashwath Narayan, questioning why leaders who usually reacted to every issue were not speaking on NEET UG-2026. Shivakumar said, “If this had happened in Karnataka, BJP leaders would have created a huge uproar by now,” arguing that the silence suggested double standards on student concerns.

Government stance on NEET UG 2026 cancellation and exam system

The Chief Minister repeated Karnataka’s long-standing opposition to the NEET framework and recalled that the state government had flagged serious concerns in 2024. Siddaramaiah said NEET placed rural and economically weaker students at a disadvantage and weakened the constitutional role of states in handling admission to professional courses.

Siddaramaiah said the latest events showed serious gaps in how national examinations were run under the Narendra Modi-led government. The Chief Minister claimed there had been repeated leaks in recruitment and entrance tests held by the Centre. Siddaramaiah demanded a transparent, time-bound probe, strict punishment for those responsible and a clear date for the fresh examination.

Ministers react to NEET UG 2026 cancellation and centralised model

Higher Education Minister MC Sudhakar, School Education Minister S Madhu Bangarappa and Medical Education Minister Sharanaprakash R Patil also held the Centre responsible for the crisis around NEET UG-2026. They questioned the centralised model and argued that states were better placed to manage entrance examinations for professional courses like medicine.

Addressing reporters, Dr. Sudhakar said the credibility of a single central examination for all states was now under serious doubt. Dr. Sudhakar argued that states should be allowed to conduct their own entrance tests and said the current system had increased stress because NEET is now the only route to medical admissions.

Dr. Sudhakar said the Karnataka government was ready to take responsibility for conducting such entrance tests. He added that giving some weightage to Class 12 marks could ease pressure on aspirants. “We will take the responsibility of conducting entrance exams. If Class 12 marks are given weightage, the pressure on students will reduce,” he said.

Allegations linked to NEET UG 2026 cancellation and exam leaks

Bangarappa highlighted the psychological strain caused by the sudden announcement of a re-exam for NEET UG-2026. Bangarappa said lakhs of candidates now faced uncertainty because the Centre had failed to organise the test properly. Bangarappa said, “We are trying to reduce academic and psychological pressure on students at the school level, but the Centre’s irresponsible decisions are pushing students and parents into despair,” he said.

Dr. Patil called the NEET controversy the “biggest scandal” of the Union government and alleged that rackets that leaked papers had handled crores of rupees. Dr. Patil demanded strict action against coaching centres suspected of involvement in malpractice and said only strong steps would restore trust in medical entrance examinations.

Referring to Karnataka’s Common Entrance Test, Dr. Patil said the state had conducted the CET without any such allegations. Dr. Patil said this showed that transparent and reliable examinations were possible when systems were robust. The minister said the NEET UG-2026 episode underlined the need to review how national-level exams were being organised.

Across statements, Karnataka leaders demanded a fresh, credible schedule for NEET UG-2026, a thorough investigation into leaks and clear accountability from the Union government. They pressed for greater powers for states in managing entrance tests and said restoring student trust now depended on swift corrective steps and transparent procedures.