The National Testing Agency (NTA) on Tuesday cancelled the NEET UG 2026 examination held on May 3 amid allegations of a paper leak and other irregularities, and announced that the test would be conducted again on dates to be announced separately.
The Union Government has referred the matter to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for a comprehensive inquiry into the allegations.
The development is set to cause immense agony to over 22 lakh candidates who took up the exam at 5432 centres in India and abroad, with unprecedented security measures in place.
In a statement on X, the National Testing Agency (NTA) said the decision was taken in the interest of maintaining transparency and preserving trust in the national examination system.
"On the basis of inputs subsequently examined by NTA in coordination with central agencies, and the investigative findings shared by the law enforcement agencies, the National Testing Agency, with the approval of the Government of India, has decided to cancel the NEET (UG) 2026 examination conducted on 3 May 2026, and to re-conduct the examination on dates that will be notified separately," the agency said.
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."
"The re-conducted examination dates, along with the re-issued admit-card schedule, will be communicated through the official channels of the Agency in the coming days," it added.
The NTA further said the government has decided to refer the matter to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for a comprehensive inquiry into the allegations linked to the examination.
"NTA will extend full cooperation to the Bureau and will provide all materials, records, and assistance the inquiry requires," it added.
"This decision has been taken in the interest of students and in recognition of the trust on which the national examination system rests," NTA said.
The NTA asked the candidates, parents and other stakeholders to rely only on official communications from the agency regarding the revised examination schedule.
According to the NTA, the registration data, candidature and examination centres opted for in the May 2026 cycle will be carried forward for the re-conducted examination.
"No fresh registration will be required, and no additional examination fee will be levied," the statement said, adding that fees already paid by students will be refunded and the examination will be re-conducted using NTA's internal resources.
The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) was conducted by the NTA on May 3 for students seeking admission to medical education courses at the undergraduate level.
In a statement posted on X on Sunday, the agency said question papers were transported in GPS-enabled vehicles with unique watermark identifiers, while exam centres were monitored through AI-assisted CCTV surveillance from a central control room.
The NTA had entrusted the Rajasthan Special Operations Group (SOG) to carry out an inquiry into alleged question paper leak after complaints were received from Sikar.
According to the SOG, several NEET aspirants who attended the exam in Rajasthan's Sikar had received handwritten copies of questions carrying nearly 600 marks out of a total of 720 marks. The 150-page "question bank" contained 410 questions from Physics, Chemistry and Biology out of which 120 questions appeared verbatim in the NEET exam on May 3.
The SOG also found that the "question bank" had circulated among aspirants in Jaipur, Sikar, Jhunjhunu and Churu nearly a month before the exam.
Meanwhile, a massive protest organised by the National Students' Union of India (NSUI), the student wing of Congress, broke out outside the Shastri Bhawan in New Delhi, where people were seen holding placards that read "PM compromised, paper compromised," "paper leak, Modi sarkar weak," and "doctor's degree is for sale."
The NTA had earlier come under fire after a similar leak occurred during the examination conducted in May 2024, with aspirants and opposition parties demanding a retest. The case was also probed by the CBI.
While hearing pleas demanding cancellation of the 2024 exam, the Supreme Court observed that atleast 155 students benefited from the question paper leak. The court, however, ruled out any systemic failure from the part of the NTA in conducting the examination.
(With inputs from Express News Service)
