Hyderabad, May 14 (IANS) Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy said on Thursday that paper leaks have “demonetised” students’ future.

In his first reaction to the cancellation of NEET-UG 2026 following the paper leak, Revanth Reddy said the credibility of national-level examinations must be protected and that those involved in the paper leak must face punishment.

In a social media post, he stated that the similarities in the governments led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) in failures, betrayal, and organised corruption are glaring.

“The cancellation of the NEET-UG 2026 examination has caused enormous distress and uncertainty among lakhs of students and parents across India. Nearly 22.79 lakh students appeared for the examination across 551 cities in India and 14 cities abroad on May 3, 2026, now face renewed anxiety because of the paper leaks and serious irregularities in the examination process,” he said.

“The credibility of national examinations must be protected at all costs. Any individuals or networks involved in paper leaks or corruption must face the strictest punishment, irrespective of their influence or position,” he said.

“The Government of Telangana stands firmly with the students and parents affected by this crisis. We urge the Union Government and the National Testing Agency to conduct a transparent, time-bound and credible investigation, while also ensuring that innocent students are not forced to suffer repeatedly because of systemic failures,” the CM added.

Revanth Reddy noted that students prepare for NEET with immense sacrifice, emotional pressure and financial burden. He said competitive examinations should become instruments of opportunity and merit, not anxiety and uncertainty.

“Telangana will continue to support its students in every possible manner, and we demand stronger safeguards, technological protections and institutional accountability so that such incidents are never repeated,” he added.

The Telangana Youth Congress on Wednesday staged a protest demonstration against the NEET paper leak. The protestors burnt effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and demanded their resignations, taking moral responsibility for this incident.

Youth Congress state President Jakkidi Shivacharan Reddy, Youth Congress leaders, and workers participated in the protests.

–IANS

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