The Indian medical exam system is in meltdown. A massive leak of the NEET question paper has forced a national resit. 2.4 million students are furious. The government is scrambling.
Here is the inside story. The leak was not a rogue paper. It was systemic. Sources in Delhi tell me the paper was circulating on Telegram for 48 hours before the exam. The price? 10,000 rupees. A bargain for a doctor's career.
Now, the backlash. The Supreme Court is involved. Petitioners are demanding a CBI investigation. The Education Minister is under pressure. He insists the resit will be fair. But nobody believes him.
The resit is scheduled for September. It will be the most secure exam in Indian history. Or so they say. Biometrics. Jammers. Armed guards. But the real question is trust. Can the system be trusted?
The opposition is circling. Rahul Gandhi calls it 'a crime against the youth'. The BJP is vulnerable. This is a wedge issue in an election year. Expect fireworks in Parliament.
Meanwhile, students are protesting. In Kota, the coaching hub, they are burning effigies. Their dreams are shattered. For many, this was their only shot. The resit means a lost year. Some have given up.
Here is the bottom line. The NEET scandal is not just a leak. It is a symptom. A bureaucracy that cannot keep its own secrets. A system that rewards the rich. The resit is a sticking plaster. The wound is deeper.
Watch for resignations. Watch for arrests. But most of all, watch for the fall-out. This is a story that will run and run.