‘No big deal’: Rajasthan education minister Madan Dilawar on NEET-UG 2026 cancellation

JAIPUR: Rajasthan school education minister Madan Dilawar, Tuesday, said the cancellation of the NEET-UG 2026 examination was “no big deal”, asserting that authorities took the decision after finding irregularities in the national-level exam attended by nearly 23 lakh students.

“Investigating agencies must have found that something has gone wrong with the exam and decided to cancel it. There is no big deal in this. Wherever malpractices come to light, govt will take action to fix it,” Dilawar said in a widely circulated video in which he spoke to the media in Jodhpur.

The minister also warned of strict action against all those involved in the alleged paper leak.

“Whether the paper leak is connected to Sikar, West Bengal or even Kashmir, whoever is at fault, wherever they may be, will not be spared,” he said.

Following criticism over the remarks, the minister’s media team, Wednesday clarified that the viral video did not contain his complete statement.

“The minister had said that if there are fears that the paper had been leaked then cancelling it is the right thing to do keeping in mind the future of so many students. In a larger context, this step is important,” the media team stated.

Dilawar’s remarks came amid allegations by Congress that the BJP govt attempted to suppress details related to the case to avoid embarrassment.