NEW DELHI — The national medical entrance examination, NEET-UG, has been cancelled nationwide following fresh allegations of paper leaks, prompting the government to order a CBI probe. This development comes despite the National Testing Agency's (NTA) repeated assurances of 'full security protocol' including GPS-tracked papers and 5G jammers, a system which appears to have once again protected the question papers from everyone except those who purchased them.

The cancellation affects over 22 lakh aspiring medical students, who will now face further uncertainty. This marks a significant moment, following the 2015 All India Pre-Medical/Pre-Dental Test (AIPMT) cancellation by the Supreme Court over similar issues, and the 2024 NEET-UG controversies. An official, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated, "We have implemented every imaginable security measure, short of perhaps encasing the papers in concrete. Yet, the system remains bafflingly permeable."

Critics point to a persistent systemic vulnerability, suggesting that previous measures have consistently prioritized the appearance of security over actual integrity. The NTA, in its official statement, reiterated its commitment to acting 'in the interest of students' by cancelling the exam, a method that has proven to be highly effective at creating interest among students in what will happen next.

The government's decision to bring in the CBI is seen as a strong move to restore public confidence, a sentiment echoed by an official who emphasized, "We are confident that this fresh investigation will once again identify the individuals responsible, ensuring that next time, we can implement even more robust protocols that will undoubtedly fail in new and exciting ways."