PM's 'amrit kaal' has turned into 'vish kaal' for country: Rahul Gandhi slams govt on NEET exam cancellation

Gandhi said, 'Every time, the paper mafia gets away scot-free, while honest students bear the punishment.'

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday took a dig on the Modi government over the cancellation of the NEET (UG) 2026 examination, saying that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's so-called 'amrit kaal' has turned into a 'vish kaal' (poison-filled era) for the country.

Gandhi said that the hard work, sacrifices, and dreams of more than 22 lakh students have been "crushed by this corrupt BJP regime".

In a post in Hindi on X, Gandhi said, "The NEET 2026 examination has been cancelled. The hard work, sacrifices, and dreams of more than 22 lakh students have been crushed by this corrupt BJP regime. Some fathers took loans, some mothers sold their jewellery, lakhs of children stayed up all night studying, and in return, they got paper leaks, government negligence, and organised corruption in education."

"This is not just a failure - it's a crime against the future of the youth," the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said.

He said, "Every time, the paper mafia gets away scot-free, while honest students bear the punishment."

He said that now, lakhs of students will once again endure the same mental stress, financial burden, and uncertainty.

Gandhi said that If one's destiny is determined not by hard work but by money and connections, then what meaning will education hold.

"The Prime Minister's so-called amrit kaal has turned into a 'vish kaal (poison-filled era)' for the country," he said.

The National Testing Agency (NTA) on Tuesday cancelled the NEET (UG) 2026 exam held on May 3 amid allegations of paper leak, with the government asking the CBI to carry out a comprehensive inquiry into the "irregularities".

The examination for students seeking admission to undergraduate courses in medical colleges will now be held afresh on dates to be notified separately.

In a post on X, NTA said that the decision was taken in the interest of maintaining transparency and preserving trust in the national examination system.

"On the basis of inputs subsequently examined by NTA in coordination with central agencies, and the investigative findings shared by the law enforcement agencies, the National Testing Agency, with the approval of the Government of India, has decided to cancel the NEET (UG) 2026 examination conducted on 3 May 2026, and to re-conduct the examination on dates that will be notified separately," the agency said.

The NEET-UG 2026 examination was held on May 3 across 551 cities in India and 14 cities abroad. The examination was organised by the NTA for nearly 23 lakh registered candidates at centres across the country.

(With PTI inputs)