The National Testing Agency (NTA) on Tuesday announced the cancellation of NEET (UG) 2026 conducted on May 3, and said the examination will be re-conducted on dates to be notified separately.
The CBI will carry out a comprehensive inquiry into the allegations linked to the exam, the agency said.
In a statement, the NTA said the decision was taken in the interest of maintaining transparency and preserving trust in the national examination system.
"On the basis of 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 agency said.
The agency said the inputs received, taken together with findings shared by law enforcement agencies, established that the "present examination process could not be allowed to stand."
Also Read: NEET UG 2026 cancelled: Why the exam has been cancelled, re-exam date and what's next?
How did the paper leak?
According to investigators, the alleged question set had been circulating among NEET aspirants between 15 days and one month before the examination. Officials said the document reportedly contained around 410 questions, with nearly 120 questions from the Chemistry section matching the examination paper exactly.
Investigators have examined claims that questions worth nearly 600 marks out of the total 720 were allegedly accessible to certain candidates before the examination. Rajasthan Police SOG Additional Director General Vishal Bansal said the agency was verifying whether the circulation of the material was linked to any organised wrongdoing.
Vishal Bansal, Additional Director General (ADG) of the Rajasthan Police Special Operations Group (SOG), said, “Regarding the various misconceptions surrounding the NEET examination, let me clarify one specific point: there is a guess paper containing approximately 410 questions. Out of these 410 questions, it is alleged that roughly 120 questions actually appeared in the Chemistry section of the exam. It is reported that this guess paper had been circulating among the students well in advance; it began reaching them as early as 15 days to a month prior to the actual examination. Therefore, our investigation is currently focused on determining whether any cheating or criminal activity has occurred based on this guess paper. We are actively examining this matter and are currently engaged in the investigative process. No, as of now, we have not made any arrests of any kind,” said Vishal Bansal in a statement to ANI.
How did the paper allegedly circulate?
Preliminary investigations suggest the alleged question bank was first sourced from a medical student from Churu who is currently studying in Kerala. According to sources quoted by TOI, the material was sent to an associate in Sikar on May 1 and later passed on to the operator of a Paying Guest (PG) facility.
From there, the document was allegedly circulated among students, counsellors and NEET aspirants through multiple coaching-linked networks across Rajasthan and other states. Investigators are now tracing the entire chain of circulation and identifying every individual involved in handling and distributing the material.
The Special Operations Group (SOG) is also probing allegations that the question bank was sold at different prices ahead of the examination. Sources told TOI that copies were allegedly sold for as much as Rs 5 lakh two days before the exam, while the price reportedly dropped to around Rs 30,000 on the eve of the test.
Officials have also recovered messages labelled “Forwarded many times” from seized mobile phones, pointing to repeated digital circulation of the material across several groups.
Multiple arrests, NTA response
Over the past four days, the SOG has arrested 13 suspects from Dehradun, Sikar and Jhunjhunu. Most of those detained are reportedly linked to career counselling and admission guidance businesses. Among those arrested is Rakesh Mandawariya from Sikar, who allegedly operated a consultancy office near a coaching institute on Piprali Road.
The National Testing Agency, which conducts NEET UG, said it received information about the alleged irregularities on May 7 and subsequently shared the details with central agencies for further investigation. The agency has urged candidates not to pay attention to rumours and to wait for verified findings as the probe continues.
(with TOI inputs)
