NEET-UG 2026 cancelled amid paper leak allegations; re-exam to be held, CBI probe ordered
New Delhi, May 12 (TNT): The Centre on Tuesday cancelled the NEET-UG 2026 examination following allegations of a paper leak and large-scale irregularities, and announced that the medical entrance test would be conducted again on fresh dates to be notified separately.
The National Eligibility-cum Entrance Test (NEET-UG), held on May 3, 2026, was conducted across 551 cities in India and 14 cities abroad at more than 5,432 centres for around 22.79 lakh registered candidates.
The government has also handed over the matter to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for a comprehensive inquiry into the alleged irregularities linked to the examination.
The National Testing Agency (NTA) said no fresh registration would be required for the re-examination and no additional fee would be charged from candidates.
It added that fees already paid would be refunded and the examination would be re-conducted using the agency’s internal resources.
According to NTA Director General Abhishek Singh, the schedule for the re-conducted examination would be announced within the next seven to ten days and assured students that all those involved in the alleged paper leak would be “nabbed and jailed”.
Meanwhile, Nashik Police detained a youth identified based on inputs received from Rajasthan Police in connection with the alleged NEET paper leak case.
Officials said he would be handed over to Rajasthan Police and later transferred to the CBI for further investigation.
According to investigators, a document containing around 410 questions had allegedly circulated among students between 15 days and one month before the examination, with some material reportedly shared through WhatsApp groups around 42 hours ahead of the test.
The controversy triggered protests by student organisations and sharp political reactions.
Workers of the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) staged protests outside Shastri Bhavan in New Delhi following the cancellation announcement.
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