Actor Zeeshan Ayyub has urged students not to lose hope amid growing concern over the impact of the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak controversy. His appeal comes as reports suggest that at least 11 NEET aspirants across India have died by suicide in the 46 days between the exam’s cancellation and the scheduled re-test on June 21.
In a video shared on Instagram, Zeeshan spoke directly to students struggling with the uncertainty surrounding the exam. “NEET ke chakkar mein kai baccho ne suicide kiya, woh jyada disturbing cheez hai. Main students se bolna chahunga ki himmat mat haro. Nothing is end of the world. Kuch khatam nahi ho jayega. Zindagi mein bohot kuch hain. Uske khilaaf bolna, uske liye bolna, apne rights ke liye khade hona… woh zyada zaruri
hain (Because of NEET, so many students have died by suicide and that is disturbing. I want to tell the students not to lose faith. It is not the end. There is more to life. To speak up, to demand your rights and so on, that is more important).”
The actor also encouraged students to seek professional help if they are struggling emotionally and stressed that asking for support should not be seen as a weakness.
“Main samajh bhi paa raha hoon iss takleef ko lekin phir bhi ek saathi hone ke naate main ye bolunga jyadda pareshaan na ho. Counselling se na darey, please logon se iske baare mein baat karein. Dosto khayal rakhieyen (I can understand the situation and the pain but I want to say that please do not worry too much. Do not feel scared of seeking counselling. Speak up about it to people. Take care of youselves).”
The remarks come against the backdrop of the NEET-UG 2026 controversy, which led to one of the biggest disruptions in the exam’s history. The undergraduate medical entrance test was cancelled on May 12 after authorities found that the question paper had been compromised.
More than 2.27 million students had already appeared for the examination across 551 cities when the decision was taken. Investigators later found that questions were circulating on some mobile phones as early as May 1, two days before the test was conducted.
The cancellation left lakhs of students facing weeks of uncertainty ahead of the re-test scheduled for June 21. It was also the second consecutive year that the examination came under scrutiny.
DISCLAIMER: If you or someone you know needs help, call any of these helplines: Aasra (Mumbai) 022-27546669, Sneha (Chennai) 044-24640050, Sumaitri (Delhi) 011-23389090, Cooj (Goa) 0832- 2252525, Jeevan (Jamshedpur) 065-76453841, Pratheeksha (Kochi) 048-42448830, Maithri (Kochi) 0484-2540530, Roshni (Hyderabad) 040-66202000, Lifeline 033-64643267 (Kolkata)
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