Health Bulletin 16/May/2026 - Video

The cancellation of NEET-UG 2026 after the alleged paper leak has reignited Tamil Nadu's long-standing opposition to the national medical entrance exam, with Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay is demanding that the Centre scrap NEET-based admissions entirely. Calling the latest controversy proof of "structural flaws" in the examination system, Vijay urged the Union Government to allow states to fill MBBS, BDS, and AYUSH seats under the state quota solely on the basis of Class 12 marks. More than 22 lakh candidates, including nearly 1.4 lakh from Tamil Nadu, had appeared for the May 3 exam before it was cancelled by the NTA amid allegations of paper leaks and irregularities, reports The Wire.

Referring to the NEET-UG 2024 controversy, Vijay said the latest cancellation showed that earlier reforms had failed to restore credibility to the system. He alleged that NEET disproportionately affects students from rural areas, government schools, Tamil-medium backgrounds, and economically weaker sections. Meanwhile, the CBI has arrested five accused and conducted searches across multiple states in connection with the alleged leak. India currently has over 780 medical colleges with nearly 1.18 lakh MBBS seats, while Tamil Nadu alone has around 12,000 MBBS seats across government and private institutions.

NEET 2026 Paper Leak: CBI Arrests Chemistry Professor From Pune

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested a Pune-based professor alleged to be the kingpin of the NEET UG 2026 paper leak racket, marking a major breakthrough in the high-profile investigation into the compromised medical entrance examination.

According to officials, the accused, Professor, a chemistry expert from Latur, had allegedly been associated with the panel responsible for setting NEET question papers for several years. Investigators claim he used his access to confidential examination material to conduct special coaching sessions at his residence, where students were allegedly dictated questions, answer options and correct responses that later “exactly matched” the actual NEET-UG 2026 question paper held on May 3.

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CBI arrests Pune professor alleged to be kingpin in NEET 2026 paper leak

New Ebola Outbreak in Congo; 246 Suspected Cases, at least 65 deaths

First hantavirus, then norovirus, and now Ebola - a series of outbreaks across different parts of the world is once again highlighting how vulnerable global health systems remain to emerging infectious diseases. Health authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo are currently battling a major Ebola outbreak in Ituri province, where the Africa CDC has reported 246 suspected cases and 65 deaths.

Preliminary investigations suggest a non-Zaire strain of the virus, while ongoing violence, weak healthcare infrastructure, poor infection control, and gaps in contact tracing are complicating containment efforts. Simultaneously, Argentina is investigating a hantavirus outbreak linked to a cruise ship, raising concerns over international travel and cross-border disease surveillance, according to Stat News.

Though biologically unrelated, the outbreaks reflect a growing global pattern of frequent and harder-to-control infectious disease emergencies. Experts warn that climate change, deforestation, urban expansion, global travel, and human encroachment into wildlife habitats are increasing the risk of zoonotic spillovers. Public health specialists stress that preparedness must become proactive, as fragile healthcare systems, misinformation, and declining trust in institutions continue to weaken outbreak response worldwide.

Kolkata Hospital Gets Relief as Supreme Court Quashes Criminal Proceedings in Billing Dispute

Granting relief to a Kolkata-based hospital and its chairman, the Supreme Court recently quashed a criminal complaint against them, observing that billing discrepancies and service-related grievances are primarily civil in nature and do not constitute criminal offences.

Based on a complaint alleging discrepancies in billing and failure to provide medical records, a criminal case had been registered against Narayana Hospital, its Chairman and staff under Sections 406 (criminal breach of trust), 420 (cheating), and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC, along with provisions of the West Bengal Clinical Establishments Act, 2017.

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Supreme court quashes criminal proceedings against Kolkata's hospital over billing dispute