Panshul Bansal from Haryana, who has secured AIR 2 in NEET UG 2026
NEW DELHI: Aryan Gupta and Panshul Bansal felt the same anger and sense of injustice as lakhs of NEET-UG aspirants when the May 3 examination was cancelled after a paper leak. They believe students were within their rights to protest. However, instead of joining the demonstrations, they stepped away from the noise, revitalised their will and prepared for the June 21 re-examination.Both scored 715 out of 720, with Gupta securing AIR 1 and Bansal placed second under the tie-breaking rule. They now want computer-based testing, tighter security and two NEET attempts a year to help examinees avoid what they experienced this year.”Although it was unfair, it was not unfair only to me. It was unfair to everyone,” Gupta said, adding that he treated the retest as a chance to improve his performance. As reports about the leak and protests multiplied, Bansal stopped following the news for nearly two months as it was giving him “negative thoughts”.Both defended students’ right to demonstrate. “Protest and dissent are basic rights of a citizen. They are essential for a democracy,” Gupta said. Bansal said his job was to prepare, while it was govt’s responsibility to repair the system.
