NEET UG 2026 Paper Leak LIVE: NSUI members hold placards during the protest in front of the Education Ministry, Shastri Bhawan, against the alleged NEET 2026 scam under the leadership of NSUI National President Vinod Jakhar, in New Delhi on Tuesday. (ANI Photo)NEET UG 2026 Paper Leak Highlights: After announcing the cancellation of the NEET UG 2026 that was conducted on May 3, the National Testing Agency (NTA) and the Centre are facing backlash over alleged paper leak. The Opposition, experts, NEET aspirants and their parents are condemning the Modi government over the irregularities in the medical system. While CBI is investigating the case, NTA chief has requested parents to calm down as they will soon announce the fresh exam schedule. Meanwhile, medical students body FAIMA has moved the top court over the NTA’s failure to conduct NEET UG.
Various opposition leaders spoke on the alleged paper leak, and criticised the government for jeopardising the aspirations for over 2 million medical aspirants. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has posted on ‘X’ handle that the “work, sacrifices, and dreams of more than 22 lakh students have been crushed by this corrupt BJP regime.” SP party chief Akhilesh Yadav too has questioned the government’s decision on the reconduct of the exam.
Ex Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and other Opposition leaders have criticised the Union Government over the alleged NEET UG paper leak. The cancellation of the exam has also triggered sharp reactions on social media, with several doctors’ bodies and medical associations condemning the decision amid allegations of a paper leak.
According to the agency, the matter had earlier been referred to central agencies on May 8 for detailed verification and investigation. The NTA stated that it had been continuously reviewing reports and evidence related to the alleged breach, while coordinating with authorities to assess the impact on the integrity and fairness of the examination process.
With the approval of the Government of India, the testing agency has now decided to cancel the NEET UG examination and conduct a fresh NEET UG 2026 test on dates that will be announced separately. The agency said the move was necessary to maintain transparency and uphold the credibility of one of the country’s largest entrance examinations conducted for undergraduate medical admissions.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today said that the government will take action against every person involved in the NEET 'paper leak' case and assured police in the state, where link of the scandal has emerged, would extend cooperation in the ongoing CBI probe.
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Wednesday termed the alleged NEET question paper leak a "great shame for India," adding that the incident has reflected poorly on the country's international education standing.
He demanded answers from Union ministers and BJP MPs regarding the paper leak.
The CBI on Wednesday reached the National Testing Agency (NTA) headquarters to collect documents related to the NEET UG. The medical entrance examination for admission to MBBS and other medical courses was cancelled following allegations of paper leak, officials said. The team also spoke to officials involved in the examination process, they said.
-- PTI
As outrage grows over the cancellation of the NEET-UG exam and the investigation into the paper leak widens, authorities have detained several individuals in Maharashtra and Rajasthan for their alleged involvement in the case.
In Maharashtra’s Ahilyanagar, a CBI team has detained a Pune resident accused of supplying a physical copy of the leaked question paper to Shubham Khairnar, an Ayurvedic medicine student from Nashik. Khairnar, who has already been arrested, allegedly created digital copies of the paper and shared them via WhatsApp.
According to a police officer, the Pune-based suspect is not a student and emerged as a key figure during Khairnar’s interrogation.
A day after the cancellation of the NEET UG 2026, a petition has been filed before the Supreme Court by medical student body FAIMA, urging the Union government to replace the National Testing Agency (NTA) with a “robust, technologically advanced, and autonomous body” to conduct medical entrance examinations. The plea also calls for a fresh NEET-UG 2026 to be held under judicial supervision.
Nearly one lakh students appeared for NEET from Karnataka. The state Chief Minister has questioned the BJP-led government and demanded strict action against the culprits. He posted on 'X' platform: As early as 2024, our government had formally raised concerns about NEET, arguing that the examination disadvantages rural and economically weaker students, undermines school education, and erodes the States’ legitimate authority over admissions. The cancellation of the exam today validates those concerns and underscores how deeply they were rooted in the interests of students."
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"The cancellation of NEET UG 2026, the national entrance exam for undergraduate medical admissions, after more than 22 lakh students wrote it, including over one lakh from Karnataka, is not just an administrative failure - it is a cruel betrayal of our youth.
— CM of Karnataka (@CMofKarnataka) May 12, 2026
Students worked…
Odisha Congress President Bhakta Charan Das condemned the Centre over the cancellation of the NEET-UG 2026 examination, alleging widespread corruption and repeated paper leaks under the Prime Minister Narendra Modi government. Das claimed that multiple examination papers had been leaked over the past decade and accused the Modi government of failing to take action. "In the last 10 years, under the Modi government, 89 papers have been leaked, but no action has been taken. This clearly shows that those in power are complicit in this crime," Das alleged.
-- ANI
Kamal Haasan has strongly reacted to the cancellation of the NEET-UG 2026 examination following allegations of paper leaks and irregularities.
The actor, on Tuesday, took to his X account to question who would take responsibility for the "mental agony" faced by students after the exam was cancelled. He also said that the dreams of lakhs of students had been "shattered." Haasan wrote, "The hard work and dreams of 22 lakh students who studied day and night for the NEET entrance exam have been shattered by criminal conspiracies. Who will take responsibility for this mental agony?" The actor-politician also spoke about the repeated allegations linked to NEET exams over the years. Questioning the system and the "malpractices" surrounding the exam, he wrote, "To date, I don't recall even a single NEET exam being conducted without allegations of malpractice. That's why we are fighting to bring education back under the state list." "Indian students must be protected from this unjust NEET exam and the mafia operating behind it," he added.
Dr Rohan Krishnan, Chief Patron of the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA), called for the immediate removal of the National Testing Agency (NTA) and demanded a comprehensive reform of the medical education system.
"It is very unfortunate...it is a middle class family's dream to have a doctor from the family still today, it is social injustice when something gets in the way of that dream...initially NTA denied any discrepancy, but now that CBI is probing the case, it has annulled the exam held on May 3. It is a serious issue...the regional directors of NTA should be held responsible for crushing the dreams of lakhs of students. It is their moral obligation to resign, if they don't, on behalf of FAIMA, I'd appeal to the govt to sack them. This is not the first time it has happened," Dr Krishnan said.
The investigation into the suspected leak of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET-UG) 2026 in Rajasthan took a dramatic turn with a small but telling detail on a WhatsApp message: “Forwarded many times.” As investigators traced the circulation of a so-called “guess paper,” they realised the breach was far more widespread than initially believed.
Officials from the Rajasthan Special Operations Group (SOG), which handled the probe before the CBI assumed control on Tuesday, discovered a WhatsApp group called “Private Mafia,” where the paper was allegedly being shared. According to officials, members had paid varying amounts — starting at around Rs 5,000 — to gain access to the group. Although administrators had reportedly issued strict warnings against forwarding the paper, it eventually spread extensively across multiple channels.
NEET UG is described as the largest examination that the National Testing Agency conducts in terms of the number of candidates appearing on a single day and in a single shift. In 2026, approximately 22.05 lakh candidates appeared for the exam on May 3 simultaneously across India. The scale of the examination conducting a single-day, single-shift offline pen-and-paper test for over 22 lakh people, also makes it one of the most logistically complex national-level examinations to administer securely.
The owner of the paying guest accommodation in Sikar who originally complained to police about the alleged NEET UG paper leak is himself under the scanner of the Rajasthan SOG. Sources in the investigation suggest that the accommodation owner may have filed the complaint to avoid arrest once the leak became widespread enough that detection was inevitable. Investigators say several aspects of the case, including the exact trail of the leak and its point of origin, are yet to be conclusively established.
According to the Rajasthan SOG's preliminary investigation, the guess paper that allegedly reached a friend in Sikar was then passed on to the owner of a paying guest accommodation in the area. This person subsequently shared the document with more students residing at the accommodation. Those students then shared it further with other students and with career counsellors. The chain of sharing that followed makes the guess paper's distribution exponentially wider, with investigators describing the tracking process as laborious.
According to the preliminary investigation by the Rajasthan SOG, the guess paper was allegedly shared by a Sikar native identified as Rakesh Mandawariya, who was in Dehradun at the time. The paper was allegedly shared from Dehradun with an MBBS student from Rajasthan's Churu district who is currently studying in Kerala. The Churu-based student studying in Kerala allegedly then forwarded the document to a friend in Rajasthan's Sikar on or around May 1 — two days before the examination.
Ex MP, Priyanka Chaturvedi, too has slammed the Centre today.
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js2024- NEET UG paper leak, protests, matter reached Supreme Court
— Priyanka Chaturvedi🇮🇳 (@priyankac19) May 12, 2026
2025 - UGC Guidelines, protests, matter in Supreme Court
2026 - NEET UG paper leak again, students upset, Exam rescheduled.
NTA: Irresponsible
Education Minister : Unchanged
Accountability: Zero pic.twitter.com/YtjmTLijS9
AAP leader Manish Sisodia criticises Modi government, reminding the authority of how Gen Z protested in Nepal.
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js#watch | Delhi: On NEET-UG 2026 exam cancelled due to allegations of paper leak, AAP leader Manish Sisodia says, "I want to tell the Prime Minister that these 2.2 million students represent the country's 'Gen Z'. You have seen what Gen Z did in Nepal. Mark my words: if your… pic.twitter.com/7moUXFaEzH
— ANI (@ANI) May 12, 2026
Facing backlash for cancelling NEET UG, NTA DG Abhishek Singh told The Indian Express: “There was an allegation and there was found to be something which would have vitiated the process…otherwise why would we take such a big decision. This time around, we declared that there would be zero tolerance towards any malpractice. So, anything that vitiates the process…we can’t encourage the scamsters or people trying to do this again and again.”
NTA received information about alleged malpractices surrounding the NEET UG exam on May 7, 2026 — four days after the examination was held on May 3. Sources in the NTA said the allegations concerned a PDF file that was circulating with questions from the paper. The agency flagged the matter to law enforcement agencies the following day, on May 8. The key question being investigated is whether the document was in circulation before the exam was conducted, given that it surfaced four days after.
On NEET-UG 2026 exam cancelled due to allegations of paper leak, NTA DG Abhishek Singh says that they will conduct the exam in the "fair manner". Singh was given charge of NTA this year.
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js#watch | Delhi: On NEET-UG 2026 exam cancelled due to allegations of paper leak, NTA DG Abhishek Singh says, "...We have handed over the matter to CBI. All accused will be nabbed and jailed so that the future of students are not adversely impacted. We will conduct a re-exam for… pic.twitter.com/8Lal04AOuI
— ANI (@ANI) May 12, 2026
NEET UG 2026 entrance exam cancelled over question paper leaks. Almost 100 paper leaks & 50 re-exams in past decade of Modi Rajya. Over 20 lakh students affected in this last leak alone. Accountability, anyone?
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has posted on his 'X' platform that: 'What guarantee is there that the exam won't leak again if it's conducted a second time? This news has sparked immense anger and despair among millions of children and their tens of millions of family members against the BJP's corrupt system. As long as the corrupt BJP government remains in power, the examination system will continue to run on the basis of leaks. As long as the BJP government is there, exams will keep getting leaked; only after the BJP is gone will the examination system be set right. BJP government means a failed government!'
Another Opposition leader and MP, K C Venugopal, Lok Sabha MP, Alappuzha, has criticized the in Centre. He said the government has learnt nothing from the 2024 fiasco.
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsYear after year, the NEET paper is leaked and millions of students suffer. The Modi Government learnt nothing from the 2024 fiasco and yet again, corrupt and vested interests manage to rig the country’s most important medical entrance test.
— K C Venugopal (@kcvenugopalmp) May 12, 2026
This is a racket, and it cannot…
The Government of India has referred the NEET UG 2026 paper leak matter to the Central Bureau of Investigation for a comprehensive inquiry. NTA announced in its statement: "The Government of India has further decided to refer the matter to the Central Bureau of Investigation for a comprehensive inquiry into the allegations therein. NTA will extend full cooperation to the Bureau and will provide all materials, records, and assistance the inquiry requires."
NTA announced that the NEET UG 2026 examination will be reconducted on dates to be notified later. The agency confirmed that candidates will not be required to register afresh or pay any examination fee for the re-conducted examination. Around 22 lakh students who appeared on May 3 will be eligible to appear in the re-conducted exam. NTA has not yet specified a tentative date or a new exam schedule for the re-conduct.
The National Testing Agency (NTA) has announced the cancellation of the NEET UG 2026 examination in its entirety. The exam was held on May 3, 2026, for approximately 22.05 lakh candidates. The cancellation comes a little over a week after the examination was conducted. This is the first time in the history of NEET UG that the exam has been cancelled in full. While allegations of malpractice and paper leaks have surfaced in previous years, none had previously resulted in a complete cancellation of the examination.
DMK president M. K. Stalin on Tuesday criticised the NEET exam after its cancellation over alleged paper leak irregularities, calling the test “a scam in itself”.
In a post on X, Stalin said repeated irregularities in NEET have caused mental distress to lakhs of students and demanded the exam system be scrapped. He argued that conducting the exam again would create uncertainty for students and suggested that MBBS admissions should instead be based on Class 12 marks, as was done earlier.
He also urged the Tamil Nadu government to continue legal efforts seeking exemption from NEET for the state.
According to reports under investigation, a mock test paper circulating before the exam allegedly contained more than 100 questions matching the actual NEET UG 2026 paper. Rajasthan Police and other agencies are currently examining the authenticity and distribution chain of the material.
The unravelling of a suspected leak in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET-UG), 2026, in Rajasthan began with an automated fineprint on a WhatsApp message: “Forwarded many times”.
Investigators following the trail of a “guess paper” stumbled upon this WhatsApp message. Sources say that while officials initially hoped it was an isolated leak, the message indicated its widespread nature.
The trail being investigated by the Special Operations Group (SOG) of Rajasthan Police has indicated that the ‘guess paper’ was allegedly shared by Sikar native Rakesh Mandawariya, who was in Dehradun. As per preliminary investigation, the ‘guess paper’ was shared from Dehradun with an MBBS student from Rajasthan’s Churu who is studying in Kerala. The student in Kerala, in turn, allegedly shared it with his friend in Rajasthan’s Sikar around May 1.
A NEET aspirant from Odisha said, "The exam being leaked is a big deal... Appearing once again makes it more stressful... The Government of India should take a huge action on it,"
#watch | Bhubaneswar, Odisha: On NEET-UG 2026 exam cancelled due to allegations of paper leak, a NEET aspirant says, "The exam being leaked is a big deal... Appearing once again makes it more stressful... The Government of India should take a huge action on it..." pic.twitter.com/UoezL2DURBThe Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) has welcomed the cancellation of the NEET-UG 2026 examination, stating that the decision was necessary to uphold transparency, fairness, and credibility in the national testing process.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), ABVP said the cancellation followed its continuous demands amid widespread concerns raised by students across the country regarding alleged irregularities and paper leaks. The student organization reiterated its call for a strict and time-bound investigation, urging the authorities to take the “harshest action” against those found responsible.
After continuous demands by ABVP for widespread concerns raised by students across Bharat regarding alleged irregularities and paper leak in NEET-UG 2026, the examination has now been cancelled.In a post on X, Rahul Gandhi claimed that many families had made personal sacrifices — with some fathers reportedly taking loans and some mothers selling their jewellery — while lakhs of students spent sleepless nights preparing for the exam. They alleged that, in return, students faced paper leaks, administrative lapses, and what they termed “organized corruption” in the education system.
NEET 2026 की परीक्षा रद्द हो गयी।In a post on X, Rajeev Shukla, a Rajya Sabha MP, posted that NEET is not just an exam — it is years of hard work, sacrifice, discipline, and dreams of becoming doctors. When such examinations are compromised, it is the honest students who suffer the most, both mentally and emotionally. He also called NTA --No Trust Agency.
NEET 2026 being cancelled due to paper leak is deeply unfortunate and raises serious questions about the credibility of the examination system.
For millions of students, NEET is not just an exam — it is years of hard work, sacrifice, discipline, and dreams of becoming doctors.…
— Rajeev Shukla (@ShuklaRajiv) May 12, 2026
NTA has cancelled the NEET UG 2026. Fresh dates will be issued by NTA soon
DMK president M. K. Stalin on Tuesday criticised the NEET exam after its cancellation over alleged paper leak irregularities, calling the test “a scam in itself”.
In a post on X, Stalin said repeated irregularities in NEET have caused mental distress to lakhs of students and demanded the exam system be scrapped. He argued that conducting the exam again would create uncertainty for students and suggested that MBBS admissions should instead be based on Class 12 marks, as was done earlier.
He also urged the Tamil Nadu government to continue legal efforts seeking exemption from NEET for the state.
Former Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday said the cancellation of NEET UG points to “large-scale irregularities” in the exam and accused the BJP government in the state of suppressing information related to the alleged paper leak for nearly two weeks.
He said the NTA’s decision to cancel the exam and transfer the probe to the CBI was a step taken in students’ interest. Gehlot also alleged that no FIR was initially registered in the case.
Meanwhile, Rajasthan Police SOG ADG Vishal Bansal said investigators are probing a “guess paper” containing around 410 questions that was allegedly circulated among students weeks before the exam.
The Indian National Congress on Tuesday attacked the Centre over the cancellation of NEET-UG, alleging that repeated paper leaks and exam irregularities under the BJP government have “destroyed students’ futures”.
In a post on X, the Congress claimed that the cancellation has impacted nearly 22 lakh students and accused the government of failing to curb “paper leak mafias”. The party further alleged that more than 89 exam papers have been leaked during the Modi government’s tenure and said the examination system has been “hollowed out”.
As per news agency - PTI, a massive protest by the National Students' Union of India (NSUI) broke out near the Shastri Bhawan on Tuesday, against the alleged paper leak in NEET UG this year.
No fresh registration will be required. While announcing the NEET UG exam cancellation, NTA said that no additional examination fee will be levied by the candidates taking the NEET UG exam.
Following cancellation of NEET UG 2026, lakhs of medical aspirants are now waiting for details regarding the re-examination schedule, admit cards and revised timelines. NTA has said fresh dates and instructions will be notified separately through official channels.
Healthcare Reforms Doctors Association (HRDA), Telangana, strongly condemns the shocking compromise of the NEET-UG 2026 examination process, which has now resulted in the cancellation of the examination and initiation of a CBI probe following serious allegations of paper leak and organized malpractice. Reports indicate that Rajasthan SOG investigation found alarming similarities between circulated “guess papers” and the actual NEET question paper, raising grave concerns regarding the integrity of the entire examination system.
We demand:
1. Immediate identification and arrest of all individuals, institutions, coaching centres, and officials involved in the leak network.
2. Fast-track investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) with complete transparency.
3. Strict criminal prosecution under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Information Technology Act, and Prevention of Corruption laws against all accused persons.
4. Permanent debarment of candidates who knowingly benefited from leaked material.
5. Implementation of advanced digital surveillance, encrypted paper transmission systems, and independent audit mechanisms for all future national examinations.
6. Fixing of accountability on officials responsible for failure of examination security.
The state-level doctors' body said in a statement.
The NEET UG 2026 re-examination is expected to be conducted after investigative agencies complete verification of the alleged irregularities linked to the May 3 exam. Officials said the examination process could not be allowed to continue in its present form after the inputs received.
Before the examination, NTA had issued multiple advisories warning students against fake NEET UG 2026 paper leak claims circulating on Telegram and WhatsApp groups. The agency had then stated that confidential examination material was being transported under strict security protocols.
Investigating agencies are reportedly examining whether the alleged NEET UG 2026 question paper circulated across multiple states before the examination. Officials are tracing digital and physical channels through which suspected materials may have been distributed prior to May 3.
The National Testing Agency stated that cancelling NEET UG 2026 was necessary to preserve transparency and fairness in the national-level medical entrance examination. Authorities added that genuine candidates should not suffer because of alleged irregularities in the examination process.
According to reports under investigation, a mock test paper circulating before the exam allegedly contained more than 100 questions matching the actual NEET UG 2026 paper. Rajasthan Police and other agencies are currently examining the authenticity and distribution chain of the material.
Investigators are probing alleged links between the NEET UG 2026 paper leak claims and a network reportedly operating from Rajasthan. Reports indicate that law enforcement agencies are examining circulation trails and the origin of suspected leaked question sets.
NTA has informed candidates that NEET UG 2026 will be conducted again after cancellation of the May 3 examination. However, the agency has not yet announced revised examination dates or the new application-related schedule for candidates.
After NEET UG 2026 was cancelled, the Centre ordered a CBI investigation into alleged irregularities and suspected paper leak claims linked to the medical entrance examination. Authorities said further action will follow based on findings shared by investigative agencies.
The National Testing Agency has officially cancelled NEET UG 2026 following concerns over the integrity of the examination process. The entrance test, conducted on May 3 for over 22 lakh aspirants, will now be re-conducted on fresh dates to be announced separately.
NEET UG 2026 Paper Leak LIVE Updates: The NTA has advised candidates, parents, and other stakeholders to regularly monitor the official websites for updates regarding the revised examination schedule, admit cards, and other procedural announcements. Fresh details regarding the re-examination process are expected to be issued in the coming days.
