An exam that never ends: What NEET retest is doing to young Indians’ minds

Team TOITNN
May 18, 2026 | 15:17 IST

Students across India are not just dealing with deep anxiety, burnout, exhaustion and fear. They are losing faith in the examination system itself

For lakhs of NEET aspirants, May 3 was supposed to mark the end of a long, punishing journey.

After years spent inside coaching classrooms, endless mock tests and revision schedules, students across India finally allowed themselves to exhale. Some boarded trains home. Some left for vacations. Others simply slept without alarms — for the first time in months.
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