New Delhi, May 12: The National Testing Agency (NTA) has cancelled the NEET (UG) 2026 examination following allegations of a paper leak. The exam, which took place on May 3, had approximately 22.79 lakh students registered to participate. A new date for the examination will be announced later.
In a significant development, the central government has assigned the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to investigate the matter. The NTA stated that the decision to cancel the exam was made after receiving approval from the Indian government. Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan faced media questions regarding the issue but left without providing any comments.
Protests erupted in Delhi by NSUI activists in response to the exam’s cancellation. The controversy began when a ‘question bank’ was reportedly circulated among students, with over 300 handwritten questions, of which 150 appeared in the actual exam.
The timeline of events leading to the cancellation includes:
– May 1: A student from Churu studying MBBS in Kerala sent a ‘question bank’ to a friend in Sikar.
– May 2: The question bank reached a PG operator in Sikar, who distributed it among students.
– May 3: A complaint was lodged with the local police regarding the distribution of the question bank.
– May 6-7: Discussions about an alleged ‘guess paper’ resembling the actual exam surfaced online.
– May 8: The NTA handed over the investigation to central agencies.
– May 10: Rajasthan Police’s Special Operation Group began its investigation, leading to the arrest of 13 individuals by May 12.
Experts have raised concerns about the likelihood of such a high number of questions appearing in the exam from a single source, suggesting that while some overlap can occur, it is unusual for so many to match.
The exact number of students who received the question bank remains unclear, but it is suspected to be significant, as messages circulated on WhatsApp indicated it had been forwarded multiple times. Connections to states including Kerala, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra have also been reported.
In a related note, the NEET UG exam faced similar issues in 2024, leading to the cancellation of tests at several centers. The Supreme Court had previously declined to annul the entire examination, allowing some candidates to retake it.
This ongoing controversy raises serious questions about the integrity of the examination process and the measures in place to ensure fairness for all candidates.