Members of NSUI protest against NEET 2026 paper leak, outside National Testing Agency Office in New Delhi on Tuesday. (EXPRESS PHOTO BY PRAVEEN KHANNA) When the notification of reports of cancellation of the NEET-UG 2026 over paper leak flashed across his phone on Tuesday morning, over a week after he had appeared for his second attempt, 20-year-old Shubh Vardhan tried to stay calm. After months in Kota, Rajasthan, where he was enrolled at ALLEN Career Institute preparing for India’s fiercely competitive medical entrance examination, he had recently returned to his home in Ghaziabad. More than 22 lakh aspirants across the country like him had appeared for the entrance test this year.   Unlike many devastated by the announcement, Shubh said, “It’s valid.…