'Whole System Must Be Held Accountable': NEET UG 2026 Highest-Ranking Candidate Outside India Speaks To FPJ | Exclusive

· Free Press Journal

As CJP-led protests over the alleged NEET UG 2026 paper leak continue, Sankalp Sandeep Naik, the highest-ranking candidate outside India in the examination, has backed the students demanding accountability, saying that merely conducting a re-examination may not be enough to restore confidence in the system.

Sankalp, a student of JSS Private School in Dubai, scored 650 marks out of 720, securing a 99.9253 percentile and All India Rank (AIR) 1,398 in the NEET UG Re-Exam 2026. He is now hoping to pursue MBBS at AIIMS Nagpur and eventually become a neurosurgeon.

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Speaking to The Free Press Journal, Sankalp said the alleged paper leak had affected a large number of students who had spent months, and in some cases years, preparing for the medical entrance examination.

“The leak was not right and someone has to be held accountable for it. So many students, like 22 lakh students, prepare for one exam, and after it gets leaked, it is not easy to just get back on to it,” he said.

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He also pointed to the pressure faced by students who take a drop year to prepare for NEET and said that the cancellation or re-examination of an exam can have a significant impact on their mental health.

“Many people even take drops. If someone takes a drop and then clears the exam, but the exam is cancelled, it is a big toll on their mental health as well,” Sankalp said.

‘Something has to be done against the leak’

On the ongoing protests by NEET aspirants, Sankalp said students' concerns should be taken seriously and that the authorities need to work towards strengthening the examination system.

He said that while a re-examination may address the immediate issue, it does not guarantee that similar incidents will not happen in the future.

“The paper should not have been leaked. There needs to be some kind of answer given. If you just say that it has been leaked and conduct a re-NEET, that does not assure that in the coming years also nothing like this will happen,” he said.

According to Sankalp, the authorities need to take stronger measures to ensure that the integrity of the examination process is protected in the future.

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“Something strong has to be put down,” he said, adding that the system needs to be improved so that such incidents do not happen again.

‘It’s Not Just One Person Or One Company’

When asked whether accountability should be fixed specifically with the National Testing Agency (NTA), or whether the demand for the resignation of the Education Minister was justified, Sankalp said he believed the issue was broader.

“That could be a possible interpretation, but I feel like it is not just one person or one company. It is the whole system that is to be blamed. If the whole system falls into place, then there won't be leaks in the first place,” he said.

Sankalp also expressed support for the students protesting over the issue, saying that their concerns about the examination process deserve an answer.

Protests continue at Jantar Mantar as Government offers talks

Sankalp's comments come as the NEET protests at Jantar Mantar continue to intensify, with the Centre making fresh efforts to engage with the protesting students and movement leaders.

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Union Ministers J.P. Nadda and Jitendra Singh have reportedly extended invitations to student representatives for discussions on the concerns surrounding the NEET examination. The government has sought talks without preconditions, while protesters have maintained that their key demands, including accountability for the examination failure and the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, must be addressed.

Protest leaders have also reportedly declined invitations to hold discussions at the minister's office or residence, insisting that talks should instead take place at Jantar Mantar or at a neutral venue near the protest site.

The latest round of developments has added another layer to the standoff between the Centre and the protesting students, with neither side appearing ready to give up its position on the key demands.

PM Modi announces fast-track courts for paper leak cases

Amid the protests, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also addressed the issue, saying that the welfare and future of the country's youth remain a priority for the government.

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In a post on X, the Prime Minister announced that fast-track courts would be set up to ensure swift and stringent punishment for those involved in question paper leaks. He also said that authorities had been directed to take all necessary steps to safeguard students' interests.

The announcement comes as protesters continue to demand stronger action against those responsible for the alleged leak and seek assurances that the examination system will be protected from similar incidents in the future.

For Sankalp, however, the question goes beyond immediate punishment or a re-examination. He believes the focus must be on fixing systemic gaps that allowed the alleged leak to take place in the first place.

“If the whole system falls into place, then there won't be leaks in the first place,” he says.

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With the protests continuing, the government offering talks and the matter also drawing parliamentary and judicial attention, the NEET controversy remains centred on a larger question of accountability and trust in India's medical entrance examination system.

“Something has to be done against the leak. You can't just let it pass, because what if it happens in the coming years?” Sankalp says.

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