The press release details that the NEET-UG 2026 exam, conducted on May 3, 2026, across 5,432 centers (including 31 in Tamil Nadu with 1.4 lakh candidates), has been cancelled by the National Testing Agency (NTA) with the Union Government's approval, following allegations of a question paper leak. The matter has been transferred to the CBI for investigation. This is not the first instance of NEET's reliability being questioned, as a paper leak also occurred in 2024, leading to FIRs in six states and subsequent CBI transfer. Despite recommendations for reforms by an expert committee headed by former ISRO chairman Dr. K. Radhakrishnan, another leak has occurred. The Tamil Nadu government has consistently opposed NEET since its introduction, arguing that it adversely affects students from rural areas, government schools, Tamil medium backgrounds, and socio-economically disadvantaged families. Therefore, Chief Minister S. Joseph Vijay reiterates Tamil Nadu's long-standing demand to completely abolish NEET and allow states to fill all medical, dental, and AYUSH seats under the state quota based on 12th-grade marks.