CBI begins NEET paper leak investigation, NTA to announce re-exam dates soon

New dates for the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination will be announced shortly after the National Testing Agency (NTA) canceled the May 3 medical entrance test over allegations of a widespread question paper leak and examination malpractice across multiple states.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has now taken over the investigation. More than 22 lakh candidates had appeared for the examination across 551 cities in India and 14 international centers.

The NTA clarified that students would not need to register again for the re-examination and no additional fee would be charged. The agency also said examination fees already paid by candidates would be refunded.

NTA Director General Abhishek Singh said the examination would be reconducted transparently. “We will conduct a re-exam for students, and it will be done in a fair manner,” Singh said.

NTA Announces Cancellation

The NTA said complaints regarding alleged irregularities and malpractice were received on May 7, four days after the examination.

According to officials, the complaints were related to a PDF document containing questions from the paper that had allegedly circulated among students. The matter was referred to central agencies on May 8 for verification and investigation.

“Based on 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 NTA said in a statement.

The testing agency said fresh admit cards would be issued before the re-examination and all updates would be communicated through official channels.

How the Alleged Leak Surfaced

Investigators are probing whether the leaked material was circulated before the exam took place. Sources involved in the investigation said a “guess paper” containing questions nearly identical to the actual paper had allegedly reached coaching hubs weeks before the examination.

According to preliminary findings by Rajasthan’s Special Operations Group (SOG), the leaked material was allegedly circulated by Rakesh Mandawariya, a resident of Sikar who was reportedly in Dehradun at the time.

Investigators said the document was shared with an MBBS student from Rajasthan’s Churu district studying in Kerala.

The student allegedly forwarded the file to a friend in Sikar around May 1, two days before the exam. Authorities believe the material was then distributed through a paying guest accommodation owner in Sikar and further circulated among students and career counselors.

Investigators suspect the complaint initially filed by the accommodation owner may have been an attempt to avoid arrest after the leak became widespread. Officials said the exact origin of the leak and the full chain of distribution are still under investigation.

Technology and Telegram Networks Under Scanner

Initial findings indicate that the leak operation involved sophisticated digital tools and organized coordination spanning multiple states.

Sources said the first digital copy of the leaked paper was allegedly prepared in Maharashtra’s Nashik before being printed locally and circulated through Haryana’s Gurugram and Jaipur and Rajasthan’s Sikar. From there, the material reportedly spread to Jammu and Kashmir, Bihar, and Kerala.

Investigators said the question papers were scanned using high-definition portable scanners instead of mobile phones to avoid detection. The leaked copies were then distributed through Telegram and WhatsApp groups.

Authorities are also probing a Telegram network called “Private Mafia,” which reportedly had around 400 members and was allegedly used to circulate leaked papers.

Investigators further suspect that a shadow server operated through a leased line connected to a small IT startup in Nashik may have been used to conceal data transfers.

Sources also said an employee of a private courier company may have allowed unauthorized access to question paper storage trunks for nearly 30 minutes.

Question Match Raises Serious Concerns

According to investigators, the “guess papers” matched the actual NEET question paper to an unusually high extent. Officials found that all 90 Biology questions allegedly matched the leaked material, while 35 out of 45 Chemistry questions were reportedly identical.

Sources said the language and punctuation in several questions also matched exactly, strengthening suspicions that the papers originated from the actual examination set.

Authorities described a 95% to 100% similarity between leaked material and the final paper as “extremely unlikely” under normal circumstances.

Some coaching institutes in Sikar are also under scrutiny for allegedly using the leaked material to prepare selected students before the examination.

Political Reactions Intensify

The cancellation triggered sharp reactions from opposition parties, which accused the government of failing to protect the integrity of national-level examinations.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav questioned the credibility of holding another examination under the same system. “What guarantee is there that the exam won't leak again if it's conducted a second time?” he asked on X.

He further said, “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!”

Congress MP K C Venugopal criticized the center, saying the government had failed to learn lessons from the NEET controversy in 2024.

Khan Sir Criticizes NTA

Educator Khan Sir strongly criticized the NTA and accused the agency of repeatedly failing students despite claiming strict security measures.

“This is nothing short of playing games with the lives of lakhs of students. Their confidence is being shattered,” he said. “NTA, National Testing Agency, should be named as Never Trustable Agency.”

Khan Sir questioned how repeated paper leaks were occurring despite security protocols such as biometric verification, GPS tracking of question papers, AI-assisted CCTV monitoring, and deployment of 5G jammers.

“The government agencies should be aware of this. The agency that we have given to conduct the exam, they don't even understand whether they have been given to conduct the exam or leak it,” he said.

He also mocked the examination security arrangements, saying, “The diapers and pampers of kids worth ₹10, they don't get leaked, their papers get leaked.”

Demand for Judicial Oversight

Khan Sir demanded that a retired Supreme Court judge oversee the investigation. “A retired judge of the Supreme Court should be made an observer of this. Whoever is responsible should be severely punished,” he said.

He warned that failure to punish those responsible would lead to further examination leaks in the future. The educator also urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Supreme Court to directly intervene in the matter.

Emotional and Financial Impact on Students

A major portion of the criticism surrounding the cancellation focused on the emotional and financial burden on students and their families.

Khan Sir said many students had spent years preparing for the examination under difficult personal and financial conditions. “Think what will happen to those students whose marks were expected to be above 700 or above 650,” he said.

He described cases where students continued preparing despite family tragedies and severe financial hardship. “There is only one paper leak for NTA. There is a whole life for someone,” he said.

He also highlighted the struggles of students from low-income families who spend large amounts on coaching, travel, accommodation, and exam-related expenses.

“NTA people are millionaires, they are sitting at home. There are such kids whose fathers run carts on the roadside,” he said. “Think about him. Pick him up and send him again 1,500 kilometers away for the exam. How will he give the exam?”

Students Await Fresh Dates

NTA Director General Abhishek Singh said fresh examination dates would likely be announced within the next seven to 10 days.

The agency said the re-examination would be conducted using its “internal resources," and existing registration details would remain valid.

Long History of NEET Controversies

NEET has repeatedly faced allegations involving paper leaks, impersonation rackets, and irregularities over the years.

In 2024, the examination triggered nationwide protests and legal challenges after allegations of paper leaks and controversial grace marks surfaced.

The matter eventually reached the Supreme Court, which declined to order a nationwide re-test due to lack of evidence showing a complete systemic breach.

Following the 2024 controversy, the center formed a reform panel headed by former ISRO chief K Radhakrishnan to recommend structural reforms in the NTA and the conduct of entrance examinations.