NTA cancels NEET UG 2026 amid paper leak row; Fresh exam dates soon
I: The National Testing Agency (NTA) on Tuesday cancelled the NEET UG 2026 examination conducted on May 3 following allegations of a paper leak and inputs received from central investigative agencies.
The agency said the decision was taken jointly with central authorities after reviewing findings shared by law enforcement agencies regarding irregularities linked to the medical entrance examination.
In an official statement, NTA said the matter had already been referred to central agencies on May 8 for independent verification and appropriate action, while reaffirming its commitment to ensuring fair, secure and credible national examinations.
Following approval from the Government of India, the agency confirmed that the examination would now be re-conducted on fresh dates, which will be announced separately.
“The decision has been taken to ensure transparency and uphold the integrity of the examination system,” the agency said.
NTA also clarified that all registration data, candidature details and examination centre preferences from the May 2026 cycle would remain valid for the re-examination process. No fresh registration will be required and no additional examination fee will be charged from candidates.
The agency further announced that examination fees already paid by students would be refunded. The re-conducted examination will reportedly be organised using NTA’s internal resources.
Fresh details regarding the revised examination schedule and admit card release dates will be communicated through official channels.
The cancellation comes amid a major controversy surrounding the alleged NEET UG paper leak. Earlier reports claimed that nearly 120 out of 410 questions appeared in a “guess paper” circulated before the examination, prompting investigations in Rajasthan and other states.
Reacting to the controversy, Rahul Gandhi criticised the Union government and alleged that the trust of lakhs of students had been shattered.
“NEET 2026 has become an auction, with papers allegedly sold on WhatsApp before the test while 22 lakh students worked tirelessly all year,” Gandhi wrote on X.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also attacked the government over the alleged irregularities in the examination process.
NEET UG is India’s largest medical entrance examination and is conducted annually for admission to undergraduate medical courses across the country.
