The National Testing Agency (NTA) has officially cancelled the NEET-UG 2026 examination conducted on May 3, following serious allegations of a paper leak and compromise in the integrity of the country’s biggest medical entrance examination. The decision was announced after investigations by multiple agencies, particularly the Rajasthan Special Operations Group (SOG), pointed towards large-scale irregularities linked to a “guess paper” that reportedly matched a significant portion of the actual examination paper.
In an official statement shared on X, the NTA said that after examining inputs from central agencies and investigative findings shared by law enforcement authorities, the Government of India approved the cancellation of the examination in the interest of maintaining transparency and credibility in the national examination system.
The agency also confirmed that the exam will be conducted again, with fresh dates to be announced separately.
The controversy erupted after the Rajasthan SOG began probing allegations that a “guess paper” circulated before the exam closely matched the actual NEET-UG 2026 question paper. According to reports, around 120 questions matched the final paper, including nearly 90 questions from Biology and 30 from Chemistry. Investigators found that the document had allegedly been circulated among students through WhatsApp groups nearly 42 hours before the examination.
The development triggered outrage among lakhs of medical aspirants and parents across the country, with many students demanding cancellation of the examination and a fair re-test. NEET-UG is one of India’s largest entrance examinations, taken annually by more than 20 lakh students seeking admission to MBBS, BDS and other undergraduate medical courses.
Earlier, the NTA had maintained that the examination held on May 3 was conducted under strict security arrangements, including GPS-tracked transportation of question papers, AI-assisted CCTV monitoring and multiple verification layers at examination centres. However, after the Rajasthan SOG investigation gathered momentum and central agencies reviewed the findings, the agency decided to cancel the examination.
The Union government has now handed over the matter to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for a comprehensive inquiry into the alleged paper leak and possible involvement of organised networks. Authorities are investigating whether the leak was limited to certain regions or part of a larger interstate racket.
The NTA clarified that candidates will not have to register again for the re-examination, as the existing application data will remain valid. Fresh examination dates and revised schedules are expected to be announced soon on the official NTA and NEET websites.
