Punjab Newsline | New Delhi
The Central Government has cancelled the NEET UG 2026 examination following allegations of a major paper leak. The National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts the medical entrance exam, said the decision was taken after receiving approval from the Centre. Revised examination dates will be announced shortly.
The NEET UG 2026 exam was conducted across the country on May 3, but soon came under scrutiny after reports emerged suggesting that the question paper may have been leaked before the examination.
According to preliminary investigations, handwritten “guess papers” recovered from several students in Rajasthan reportedly matched a large number of actual exam questions. Authorities suspect that nearly questions worth 600 marks out of the total 720 were circulated among students two days before the examination.
On May 10, the Rajasthan Special Operations Group (SOG) launched raids based on intelligence inputs and detained 13 suspects from Dehradun, Sikar, and Jhunjhunu. Among those detained is a career counsellor associated with a coaching institute in Sikar.
Investigators revealed that the alleged leaked paper was first shared on May 1 by an MBBS student studying at a college in Kerala with a friend in Sikar. The paper later reached a PG accommodation operator in Sikar, who allegedly distributed it among students staying at the facility. From there, the document reportedly spread to several others.
The NTA said the integrity and transparency of the examination process remain its top priority and assured students that fresh dates for NEET UG 2026 will be declared soon.
