NEET-UG 2026 cancelled after paper leak allegations

Process to hold re-examination to begin in 7-10 days

New Delhi: The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate) or NEET (UG) 2026 examination held on May 3 was cancelled on Tuesday amid allegations of paper leak with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registering an FIR after the government asked it to carry out a comprehensive inquiry into the “irregularities”.

The National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts the exam for admission to undergraduate courses in medical colleges, said fresh dates will be notified in the “next seven to 10 days”. The cancellation triggered nationwide outrage among medical aspirants.

Students raised questions on NTA’s competence and demanded that the exam be conducted by AIIMS-Delhi.

The Opposition also attacked the Centre, alleging administrative failure, insensitivity toward students and “repeated lapses” in the conduct of national-level competitive examinations. It too demanded an overhaul of the NTA. The day also saw protests by activists of NSUI, SFI and other organisations at several places.

Though Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan did not respond to media queries on the cancellation, the NTA said this is a matter of concern for the children, their parents and for the entire ecosystem.

In the evening, the CBI registered a case of criminal conspiracy, cheating, criminal breach of trust, theft and destruction of evidence under Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita, offences under Prevention of Corruption Act and under the Public Examination Prevention of Unfair Means Act 2024.

The agency dispatched multiple special teams to various locations and will also collect material from the Special Operations Group (SOG) of Rajasthan Police.

The Rajasthan Police SOG had claimed that a “guess paper” for chemistry that was allegedly circulated among students ahead of the examination had approximately 410 questions and roughly 120 of these were in the question paper.

In Maharashtra’s Nashik, a man was detained in connection with the paper leak. Nashik Deputy Commissioner of Police Kirankumar Chauhan said a team of Rajasthan police would arrive in the city to take his custody.

Earlier in the day, the NTA, in a statement on X, said the decision to cancel the exam was taken in the interest of maintaining transparency and preserving trust in the national examination system.

The examination was conducted on May 3 across 551 cities in India and 14 cities abroad with nearly 23 lakh candidates appearing nationwide with a turnout of 96.92%.

The agency said the inputs received, taken together with findings shared by law enforcement agencies, established that the “present examination process could not be allowed to stand”.

Later, talking to reporters, NTA Director General Abhishek Singh said, “Paper leaks must end with immediate effect. It is unfortunate that we are at this stage. This is a matter of concern for the children of our country, for their parents, and for the entire ecosystem.”

“I understand that more than two lakh people were involved in the examination system. This is distressing for everyone involved. We take responsibility for what has happened; it was wrong. We are cancelling it and preparing to conduct it again with the assurance that such incidents will not be repeated…,” he said.

He said the new schedule for the re-examination would be announced within the “next seven to ten days”.