New Delhi: The National Testing Agency (NTA) on Tuesday cancelled the NEET-UG 2026 examination following massive allegations of paper leaks and irregularities.
The exam, held on May 3, had been attended by nearly 22.79 lakh students across the country.
NTA Director General Abhishek Singh admitted lapses in the examination process and said the agency was taking responsibility for the irregularities.
“We are responsible for this mess. The examination will be conducted again and the fresh dates will be announced within six to eight days,” he said.
Centre hands investigation to CBI
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has now taken over the probe and registered an FIR in the matter.
The NTA said the decision to cancel the examination was taken after approval from the Government of India.
Meanwhile, Dharmendra Pradhan avoided questions from reporters in Delhi regarding the controversy.
‘Question bank’ suspected to be source of leak
Investigators suspect that the paper leak occurred through a so-called “question bank” containing more than 300 questions from Physics, Chemistry and Biology.
According to officials, all questions were handwritten and appeared to be written by the same person.
The alleged leak first surfaced in Sikar.
Timeline of the alleged leak
Investigators believe a student from Churu studying MBBS in Kerala first shared the “question bank” with a friend in Sikar on May 1.
The next day, the material allegedly reached a PG accommodation operator in Sikar, who circulated it among students staying there. It subsequently spread to coaching networks and career counsellors.
After the examination on May 3, a PG operator reportedly filed a complaint with the local police station and the NTA, claiming that a suspicious “question bank” had been widely circulated among students.
Between May 6 and 7, discussions online intensified after students and coaching institutes claimed that the circulated material closely matched the actual examination paper.
The NTA later confirmed that it received inputs about irregularities on May 7 from Rajasthan and Uttarakhand.
On May 8, the matter was referred to central agencies, while the Rajasthan Police Special Operations Group (SOG) launched a separate investigation on May 10.
So far, 13 people have reportedly been arrested from Sikar and nearby areas in connection with the case.
