Explained | From ‘leak-proof’ claims to cancellation: What happened to NEET-UG 2026

After cancelling NEET-UG 2026 over alleged paper leak concerns, the NTA now faces renewed scrutiny from students and medical associations.

The National Testing Agency (NTA) on Tuesday, May 12, announced that the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test - Undergraduate (NEET-UG) 2026, conducted on May 3, stands cancelled and will be re-conducted at a later date.

The move comes amid mounting allegations of a paper leak and growing outrage over the integrity of the examination process.

In a statement posted on social media, NTA said it had decided to cancel the examination after inputs received by the agency, along with findings shared by law enforcement authorities, established that “the present examination process could not be allowed to stand.”

The agency added that fresh examination dates and the revised admit card schedule would be announced separately through official channels.

The Centre has also decided to hand over the matter to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for a comprehensive investigation into the alleged leak network and associated irregularities.

NTA said it would provide all records, materials and assistance required for the inquiry.

What led to the cancellation?

Allegations of a paper leak first surfaced after reports claimed that a “guess paper” circulated before the NEET-UG 2026 examination contained several questions similar to the actual paper conducted on May 3.

According to multiple reports, around 120-135 questions from the circulated material allegedly matched the final examination paper, raising concerns that questions worth nearly 600 marks may have been leaked. The material was reportedly shared through WhatsApp and Telegram groups nearly 42 hours before the examination.

The Rajasthan Police Special Operations Group (SOG), which is leading the investigation, is probing whether the circulated material was simply a highly accurate guess paper or evidence of an organised paper leak.

As part of the investigation, officials are tracing Telegram and WhatsApp circulation trails, interstate links, financial transactions, and the possible involvement of coaching centres and organised cheating networks.

Reports have also suggested that the circulated material contained around 300-410 questions and was allegedly being sold for sums between Rs 30,000 to Rs 5 lakh.

Raids and searches have reportedly been carried out across Rajasthan and Uttarakhand, including Dehradun, while more than 15-20 people have been detained for questioning so far.

Activists, students and politicians react

The cancellation triggered immediate protests and political reactions across the country.

In Delhi, members of the National Students' Union of India (NSUI) staged protests near Shastri Bhawan after the cancellation announcement. Heavy security deployment was reported in the area as protestors raised slogans against NTA and the Union government.

Placards reading “Doctor degree on sale” and slogans demanding accountability from NTA were reportedly seen during the demonstrations.

Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi also wrote on X, “Some fathers took loans,  some mothers sold their jewelry,  lakhs of children stayed up all night studying, and in return, they got paper leaks, government negligence, and organized corruption in education. This is not just a failure—it's a crime against the future of the youth.”

Meanwhile, health activists and student groups said the cancellation validated concerns repeatedly raised by aspirants in the days following the examination.

“Our hearts go out to the lakhs of students who put their lives on hold for NEET-UG 2026, only to be met with systemic negligence. FAIMA  demands immediate accountability for this paper leak. We will not stay silent while "guess papers" & mafias decide who becomes a doctor,” wrote Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) on X.

Students and activists are now demanding a transparent CBI investigation, public disclosure of findings, stronger accountability mechanisms within NTA, better exam security systems for future examinations and clear timelines for the re-examination and counselling process.

NTA’s hollow ‘leak-proof exam’ promise?

The controversy has also reignited scrutiny over the Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s earlier assurances that NEET-UG 2026 would be conducted with strengthened anti-leak safeguards after the backlash over NEET-UG 2024.

Before the exam, NTA and the Ministry had highlighted several measures introduced to ensure a “leak-proof” examination process, including:

• GPS-tracked transportation of question papers

• Biometric verification at centres

• AI-assisted CCTV surveillance

• Watermark coding and tracking systems

• 5G jammers at examination centres

• Enhanced coordination with district administrations and law enforcement agencies

Even as suspicions of a paper leak began surfacing days before NEET-UG 2026 was cancelled, the National Testing Agency had issued a clarification on X, stating, “NTA has ensured that all question papers and confidential materials have safely reached the last destination with the highest level of security. There is no possibility of paper leaks or early access.”

Despite these assurances, allegations of paper leak have once again raised serious concerns about the security mechanisms put in place.

Echoes of the NEET-UG 2024 controversy

This is not the first time NEET-UG has found itself at the centre of a national controversy.

In 2024, allegations of paper leaks and organised malpractice triggered massive protests across the country, with students demanding cancellation of the exam, Re-NEET and a proper investigation into the alleged irregularities.

Social media campaigns such as “#ReNEET” trended nationally, while several petitions were later filed in the Supreme Court seeking cancellation of NEET-UG 2024, a re-examination and a CBI probe.

The controversy further escalated after an unusually high number of candidates secured perfect scores, with 67 students obtaining 720/720, raising widespread suspicion among students and parents.

On June 11, 2024, the Supreme Court observed that “the sanctity of the exam has been affected.” The matter was eventually transferred to the CBI for investigation.

The Supreme Court later acknowledged that a paper leak had indeed taken place and also noted that at least 155 students had directly benefited from the leak.

However, the apex court refused to cancel the examination or order a nationwide re-examination, stressing that while there was evidence of leakage, there was insufficient proof of a “systemic” nationwide breach affecting the entire examination.

How will the re-examination be conducted?

The NEET-UG 2026 examination will now be re-conducted for all 22.79 lakh candidates across the country. 

The NTA clarified that no fresh registration will be required for the re-examination, and that existing candidate data will be carried forward. The agency also stated that no additional examination fee would be charged, while fees already paid by candidates would be refunded.

NTA further said that the re-examination would be conducted using the agency’s internal resources.

In its statement, NTA said that while the decision would lead to “real and significant inconvenience” for candidates and their families, allowing the examination process to continue despite the findings would have caused “greater and more lasting damage” to trust in the national examination system.

As of now, however, the agency has not announced the fresh examination dates.