NEET-UG 2026 cancelled : Nashik police take paper leak accused into custody

The cancellation of the NEET-UG 2026 examination, following an alleged question paper leak, has led to widespread political and student outrage across States

NEET-UG 2026 cancelled

The National Testing Agency (NTA) on Tuesday (May 12, 2026) canceled the NEET-UG 2026 exam held on May 3 amid allegations of paper leak, with the government asking the CBI to carry out a comprehensive inquiry into the “irregularities”. This decision comes as a Rajasthan Special Operations Group is investigating into the allegations of the exam paper leak.

“On the basis of the inputs subsequently examined by NTA in coordination with the central agencies, and the investigative findings shared by the law enforcement agencies and in order to ensure that there is transparency in the system, 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 NTA said in a press release.

The examination for students seeking admission to undergraduate courses in medical colleges will now be held again on dates to be notified individually.

The NEET-UG 2026 examination,

which was conducted on May 3, has been canceled over allegations of a paper leak. The government has ordered a CBI probe into the allegations with the National Testing Agency saying dates for the re-exam will be announced soon.

The NEET-UG 2026 exam, conducted on May 3 for admissions into undergraduate medical programs, was canceled on Tuesday following reports of a paper leak. The National Testing Agency said that information collected by law enforcement agencies had indicated that the “present examination process could not be permitted to stand”. The agency said that the exam would be conducted afresh, the dates for which would be announced in the coming days.

Around 22 lakh students had appeared for NEET UG 2026, making it one of the largest entrance examinations in the country.

Tuesday’s announcement follows developments in Rajasthan, where the state police’s Special Operations Group had been investigating allegations that the NEET-UG question paper had leaked just days before the May 3 examination.

According to the SOG probe, details of which emerged over the last two days, a set of handwritten questions that were allegedly part of a “guess paper” (a question bank meant for last-minute practice) partially matched the actual exam paper. Around 140 questions, worth 600 marks of the total 720, that appeared in the actual exam were found to be similar to the handwritten paper that circulated two to three days before the examination.

On Sunday, the NTA said it was aware of a probe being conducted by the Rajasthan Police into “alleged irregularities around NEET (UG) 2026″. The agency also said that it was in fact the NTA that had received inputs regarding “alleged malpractice” just days after the examination and that it had alerted the relevant law enforcement agencies.

On Tuesday, two days after that statement, the NTA canceled the examination altogether.

In its official statement, NTA said the exam “could not be allowed to stand” after considering all evidence. The move, it added, was necessary to maintain transparency and credibility in the national testing system.

CBI TO PROBE ‘GUESS PAPER’ LEAK, 45 DETAINED

The Government of India has handed over the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation for a comprehensive investigation.

The agency will investigate how the alleged ‘guess paper’ circulated before the examination and whether organized malpractice was involved. NTA has said it will fully cooperate by sharing all records, data, and materials required for the probe.

In Rajasthan alone, over 45 people have reported so far in connection with the NEET paper leak investigation. Initial inputs suggest the leaked ‘guess paper’ may have originated from a printing press, raising serious concerns about internal security lapses.

Sources indicate a handwritten version of the question paper was circulating, pointing to a possible leak during the printing stage.

WHAT NTA SAID ON RE-EXAM

NTA confirmed that NEET UG 2026 will be conducted again, with fresh dates to be announced soon via official channels.

The agency also acknowledged that the re-exam will cause inconvenience to students and families, but stressed that continuing with a compromised exam would have caused greater long-term damage to confidence.

Candidates should depend only on official updates from NTA and avoid misinformation circulating on social media. With new dates expected soon, students may need to rework their preparation strategy and stay exam-ready.

BIGGER IMPACT ON TRUST IN EXAMS

The cancellation once again puts the spotlight on exam security in India. NEET is one of the most competitive examinations, and any leak directly impacts fairness for lakhs of aspirants.

By canceling the exam and ordering a CBI probe, officials are signaling zero tolerance for malpractice and attempting to restore confidence in the system.

For now, the focus shifts to the re-exam and the outcome of the investigation. While the decision has added pressure on students, it also underscores the importance of a fair and credible examination process.

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