Trigger Warning: This blog contains references to suicide, anxiety, mental health concerns and loss
On 3 May 2026, over 22 lakh students sat the NEET-UG. One week later, it was cancelled. Over 120 questions had leaked via WhatsApp before the exam, first discovered in Sikar, Rajasthan. On 12 May, the government announced the cancellation in the interest of exam integrity. For the students who'd spent years preparing for that one day, it didn't feel right, it felt like they had lost everything.
Student protests broke out across multiple cities. The damage ran much deeper, with students reporting spiralling anxiety, loss of motivation, and a profound sense of helplessness. Devastatingly, the toll of the decision led to students feeling hopeless and in despair, with some contemplating suicide.
The conversation around the NEET paper leak rarely talks about how the exam affects students emotionally. Exam stress is acceptable, but what students experience mentally and emotionally, before, during, and after a crisis like this, remains poorly understood and unsupported. There are no built-in psychological support systems within the exam framework. Nowhere that students can turn to outside their home environment to seek comfort and advice.
During hearings related to the matter, the Supreme Court observed that the issue won’t be resolved unless accountability is taken, further recognising that "it is very traumatic if something like this happens, not just for the students, but also their families and everybody." According to the national president of the All India Students’ Association, “The centralisation of examinations, coupled with the gradual erosion of an accessible public education system, has subjected students and families to extraordinary psychological and financial strain.”
The paper leak didn't hit everyone equally. Students from underprivileged backgrounds, those who can't afford to reapply or take another year, feel like they carry the burden. For many families, the rescheduling of the examination isn't just a disruption. It's a financial crisis layered on top of an emotional one, spending significant sums of money for the high hopes of their children’s future and what they can do. In a country where a single exam can determine a young person's entire future, emotional resilience isn't a luxury. It's a necessity, and right now, the system isn't cutting it.
In India, there needs to be a greater focus on mental health services that can be availed during times of crisis and that can offer support in a manner that’s effective and relatable to young people. Outlive chat is a youth mental health and suicide prevention chat service for 18 –25 year olds. Outlive chat helpline allows youth to talk to trained peer volunteers of the same age through text message.
In case the conversations feel heavy, and you require emotional support you can reach out to the following helplines for support:
- Outlive Chat – a free anonymous and confidential chat-based peer support helpline for youth 18 to 25 years available from 3 PM to 9 PM at chat.outlive.in.
- SNEHA Suicide Prevention Helpline (https://snehaindia.org/new/) available between 10.00 a.m to 10.00 p.m at +91-44-24640050.
- iCALL (https://icallhelpline.org/) available from Monday to Saturday: 10:00 am to 8:00 pm at 9152987821.
What students facing this crisis need most is to feel heard by someone who's been exactly where they are.
