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'Opening the books once again was difficult': NEET re-exam toppers on paper leak, second attempt

From Hindustan Times · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • Aryan Gupta and Panshul Bansal jointly secured the top rank in the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination, both scoring 715 out of 720.
  • The toppers described the experience of preparing for a second attempt after the original exam was cancelled due to a paper leak as difficult but motivating.
  • Bansal called for strict action against those responsible for paper leaks and advised students not to let exams define their life.

Aryan Gupta and Panshul Bansal have emerged as the joint toppers of the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination, achieving a score of 715 out of a possible 720. Their success comes after the original examination, held on May 3, was cancelled due to a paper leak, forcing them and over a million other students into a second round of intense preparation.

After studying continuously for two years, when you get to know that the exam has been cancelled, opening the books once again was difficult. But I looked at my peers for motivation and treated it as a second chance to do better.

— Aryan GuptaAryan Gupta's reflection on the difficulty of preparing for the NEET-UG re-examination after the original exam was cancelled due to a paper leak.

Gupta, from Ludhiana, who had scored 696 in the initial exam, found the prospect of studying the same material again daunting. "After studying continuously for two years, when you get to know that the exam has been cancelled, opening the books once again was difficult," he shared. He drew motivation from his peers and viewed the re-examination as an opportunity to improve.

I felt bad when the paper leak happened because I had to study everything once again. But then I thought positively and decided to prepare for one more month with full focus. That helped me achieve this result.

— Panshul BansalPanshul Bansal's experience with the NEET-UG paper leak and his subsequent focused preparation for the re-examination.

Bansal, a student from Delhi, described the paper leak as demoralizing but chose to focus positively on preparing for the rescheduled exam. "I felt bad when the paper leak happened because I had to study everything once again. But then I thought positively and decided to prepare for one more month with full focus," he told PTI. He noted that the re-conducted paper was lengthier, particularly the physics section, making it more time-consuming than the original.

Whenever a paper leak happens, there should be a strict mechanism to ensure proper action against those responsible.

— Panshul BansalPanshul Bansal's call for strict action against those involved in paper leaks.

Both toppers emphasized the challenges of the re-examination. Gupta mentioned that the physics and chemistry sections were tougher than anticipated but expressed pride in his performance. Bansal, while acknowledging the difficulty, also called for stringent measures against exam malpractice. He offered a message of resilience to students facing similar pressures: "This exam is not bigger than your life. There are many career opportunities available today. If one path doesn’t work out, there are several others."

This exam is not bigger than your life. There are many career opportunities available today. If one path doesn’t work out, there are several others. Students should not lose hope because of one examination.

— Panshul BansalPanshul Bansal's advice to students facing pressure and setbacks.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hindustan Times. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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