Panshul Bansal, who secured All India Rank (AIR) 2 in the NEET UG 2026 re-examination, said he was initially "despaired" after the examination was cancelled but later chose to see it as an opportunity to improve his performance.
"The conduct of exams is not in your hands. So, look at it this way, what happened, happened for the best. Take it as an opportunity to perform even better and score higher," Bansal told news agency ANI.
#WATCH | Delhi: Panshul Bansal, who secured AIR 2 in Re-NEET UG 2026, says, "...Initially, I was sad and despaired that the exam got cancelled. Then I thought to myself that crying would serve no purpose. So, I got myself together and started focussing on my regular schedule that… pic.twitter.com/uSNsXrka0W
— ANI (@ANI) July 22, 2026
His remarks come as protests continue in Delhi over the NEET paper leak, with demonstrators demanding education reforms and the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Bansal, a student of KR Mangalam World School in Greater Kailash, New Delhi, scored 715 marks in the NEET UG re-examination.
The original NEET UG examination for undergraduate medical admissions was held on May 3 but was cancelled on May 12 following allegations of a question paper leak. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is investigating the case.
Recalling the period after the cancellation of the examination, Bansal said he decided to focus on preparing again instead of dwelling on the setback.
"...Initially, I was sad and despaired that the exam had been cancelled. Then I told myself that crying would serve no purpose. So, I pulled myself together and resumed the routine I had followed before the first NEET exam. I thought I should give it my all and see whether God had given me an opportunity to score better because He knew that I could score better. My family supported and comforted me throughout," he said.
He added, "When the paper is cancelled, you need a lot of resilience and must not give up. That is important."
All India Rank 1 holder Aryan Gupta said his parents were his biggest source of emotional support and that he viewed the re-examination as a second opportunity to perform at his best.
Sharing advice for future candidates, he said, "To the students who will appear for the exam later, I would say — trust your teachers and follow their guidance because they know much more than you do... Give your best every day, and keep working consistently and with discipline. Things will work out on their own."
According to a report by Hindustan Times, at least 11 aspirants reportedly died by suicide during the 46 days between the cancellation of the NEET UG 2026 examination over the paper leak controversy and the scheduled re-test on June 21.
Panshul Bansal, a 17-year-old student from Haryana, secured All India Rank 2 in the NEET UG 2026 re-examination after scoring 715 out of 720 marks and achieving a 99.9999 percentile.
He scored the same marks as AIR 1 Aryan Gupta but was placed second under the National Testing Agency's (NTA) tie-breaking rules.
A student at KR Mangalam World School in Greater Kailash, New Delhi, Bansal also scored 94 per cent in his Class 12 board examinations while preparing for NEET, according to The Indian Express. His father is a businessman and his mother is a company secretary.
Aryan Gupta, from Punjab, secured All India Rank 1 in the NEET UG 2026 re-examination with a 99.9999 percentile.
He comes from a family of medical professionals. His father, Dr Sachin Gupta, is an anaesthesiologist, while his mother, Dr Reenu Gupta, is a gynaecologist. Several members of his extended family, including his maternal uncles, aunts and paternal relatives, are also doctors.
