Amid nationwide protests demanding Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation over the NEET paper leak, NEET UG 2026 All India Rank 2 holder Panshul Bansal said he chose to focus on studying instead of joining demonstrations.
Speaking to NDTV, Bansal said, "I thought, why should I go to the protest? Instead, I could be studying at home, improving my skills and improving my score."
Bansal secured All India Rank 2 with a 99.9999 percentile in the NEET UG 2026 re-examination.
The original NEET UG exam, conducted on May 3 for admissions to undergraduate medical courses, was cancelled on May 12 following allegations of a question paper leak. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is currently probing the case, with 13 accused in judicial custody.
Recalling his reaction after the exam was cancelled, Bansal said he initially felt disappointed but quickly shifted his mindset. "At first, I felt despair and sadness. But after one or two hours, I decided to look at it positively and became determined to perform even better in the re-exam," he said.
He revealed that he had scored around 706 marks in the original examination before improving his score to 715 in the re-test.
"I didn't want to bring negativity into the picture. I decided to forget everything and focus on my main goal. Whatever happens will be for the good. Once the exam is over, the stress and anxiety also end," he added.
When asked about the ongoing protests over the paper leak, Bansal declined to take a position, saying, "I would not comment on that."
Last week, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan met Bansal and congratulated him on securing the second rank in the country's biggest medical entrance examination.
