As the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) protest over the alleged NEET UG exam paper leak continues, All India Rank (AIR) 2 holder Panshul Bansal said he chose to focus on his preparation instead of joining the demonstrations, using the time to improve his performance.
Speaking to NDTV about the paper leak controversy and the ongoing agitation, Bansal said, “I thought of the situation as an opportunity to improve my score. So I thought, why should I go to the protest? Instead, I could be studying at home and improving my skills and score.”
His remarks come at a time when several NEET aspirants and coaching institutes have been raising concerns over various aspects of the examination and demanding remedial measures, including the resignation of education minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Focused on improving his performance
Bansal said his approach throughout the period was to prepare better. According to him, the re-examination gave him an opportunity to refine his preparation rather than start from scratch.
He focused on analysing the mistakes he made in his earlier attempt, revised high-weightage NCERT chapters, and took more mock tests to improve his accuracy and time management.
Sharing his daily study routine with HT, Bansal said he studied for around seven to eight hours every day. He devoted six to seven hours to self-study, around two hours to revision, took regular mock tests, and ensured he had enough time for exercise and adequate sleep.
Subject-wise strategy
Bansal credited his success to a disciplined, subject-wise preparation strategy tailored to the demands of each section of the NEET syllabus.
According to him, Biology required repeated revision of NCERT textbooks, while Chemistry relied on building strong conceptual clarity through consistent practice. Physics, he said, demanded daily problem-solving to develop speed and accuracy.
Rather than ignoring his weak areas, Bansal identified them through mock tests, discussed his doubts with teachers, and repeatedly revised challenging topics until he gained confidence.
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Aiming for AIIMS Delhi
Looking ahead, Bansal hopes to pursue an MBBS degree at AIIMS New Delhi and eventually specialise in surgery, with cardiac surgery and neurosurgery among the fields he is considering.
The NEET re-examination was held on June 21, 2026, and the results were announced on July 16, 2026. Aryan Gupta secured AIR 1 with 715 marks out of 720, while Panshul Bansal finished second with the same score.
A total of 11.21 lakh candidates qualified the NTA’s NEET re-examination. Overall, 138 candidates featured in the toppers’ list after scoring 690 marks or more. More than 93 per cent of them were appearing for NEET (UG) for the first time, while 99 per cent were between 17 and 19 years of age.
