Amidst widespread protests over the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak, Panshul Bansal, who achieved All India Rank 2, has urged agitating students to focus on their studies instead of protesting.
Key Points
- Panshul Bansal, NEET-UG 2026 AIR 2, advises students to focus on studying rather than protesting against the paper leak.
- Bansal improved his score from 706 to 715 in the re-examination by channelling disappointment into preparation.
- He maintained his study routine and consciously avoided negativity after the initial exam cancellation.
- Thousands of students are protesting nationwide, demanding Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation.
As protests intensify across the country over the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak, one of the top scorers in the exam has offered a different message to agitating students: 'Don't protest. Go, study'.
Panshul Bansal, who secured All India Rank 2 with a 99.9999 percentile in the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination, said he chose to focus on improving his performance rather than joining demonstrations after the original exam was cancelled due to the paper leak.
In an interview with the NDTV news television channel, Bansal said, 'Why should I go to the protest? Instead, I could be studying at home and improving my skills and improving my score.'
Bansal scored around 706 marks in the original examination before improving his score to 715 in the re-test.
He said he was initially disappointed when the first examination was invalidated but soon decided to channel that disappointment into preparation.
'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 told NDTV.
Maintaining Routine and Positivity
Asked what changed during the additional weeks of preparation, Bansal said he did not alter his routine.
'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.
Bansal added that he consciously chose to avoid negativity and remain focused 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,' NDTV quotes him as saying.
Ongoing Protests and Investigations
His remarks come as thousands of students continue to protest in several parts of the country, demanding Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation following the NEET-UG paper leak on May 3, which forced the examination to be postponed and later re-conducted.
The paper leak case is currently being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation.
On Tuesday, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi staged a dharna outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence, demanding Pradhan's resignation. Gandhi was later detained by the Delhi police and released after about two hours.
While Bansal urged students to focus on their studies, he declined to directly comment on the ongoing nationwide protests seeking Pradhan's resignation.
