'Why join protests when I could study?': NEET AIR 2 on using re-exam time to improve score

As protests over the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak intensified across the country, Panshul Bansal, who secured All India Rank (AIR) 2 in the re-examination, said he chose to spend the period preparing for the test instead of joining demonstrations.

Bansal, who achieved a 99.9999 percentile and scored 715 marks in the re-exam, told NDTV that while the cancellation of the original examination initially left him disappointed, he soon decided to focus on improving his performance.

"I thought, why should I go to the protest? Instead, I could be studying at home and improving my skills and improving my score," Bansal added.

Recalling his reaction to the cancellation of the first exam, Bansal said he initially felt upset but later decided to view the situation positively.

"Initially, I had a feeling of despair and sadness. But after one or two hours, I looked at it from a positive perspective and got motivated and determined to do better this time," he said.

Bansal said he did not make any major changes to his preparation strategy during the additional weeks before the re-examination.

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"I did not change anything in my schedule. I simply followed the same routine. I just felt that in the last one-and-a-half months I had to give everything I could and leave the rest to God," he said.

He added that although he initially questioned the decision to cancel the examination, he eventually chose to focus only on his goal.

"I thought, why should I bring negativity into the picture? I should forget everything and focus on my main goal. Whatever happens will be for the good. Once the paper is over, the stress and anxiety will also end," he said.

Pradhan congratulates AIR 2 holder

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan also met Bansal and congratulated him on his performance in the examination.

In a post on X, Pradhan wrote: "Met Panshul Bansal from Haryana, who has secured AIR 2 in NEET UG 2026. Congratulated him on this outstanding achievement and wished him success in his career."

A student of KR Mangalam World School in Greater Kailash, New Delhi, Bansal said he had scored around 706 marks in the original examination before improving to 715 in the re-test.

Paper leak row led to re-examination

The original NEET-UG examination for admission to undergraduate medical courses was held on May 3. However, it was cancelled on May 12 after allegations of a question paper leak. The CBI is currently investigating the matter.

The cancellation triggered protests in several parts of the country, with students demanding answers over the alleged leak and opposition parties criticising the government over the controversy.

A fresh examination was conducted on June 21 under heightened security arrangements, and the results were declared by the National Testing Agency (NTA) on July 16.

More than 11 lakh candidates qualify

According to the NTA, nearly 20 lakh candidates appeared for NEET-UG 2026 at 5,440 centres across 551 cities in India and 14 international locations.

Of them, 11.21 lakh candidates qualified for admission to undergraduate medical, dental, AYUSH and allied programmes. The examination was conducted in 13 languages.

Women accounted for more than 58 per cent of the qualified candidates and recorded a higher qualification rate than men. The NTA also said that 138 candidates scored above 690 marks out of 720, with 93 per cent of them appearing for NEET for the first time.