A massive controversy erupted after allegations surfaced that the NEET-UG 2026 examination paper had been leaked before the test, eventually leading to the cancellation of the exam and a nationwide probe.
At the centre of the controversy is Rajasthan-based chemistry teacher Shashikant Suthar, whose findings allegedly helped investigators uncover the scam.
Who is Shashikant Suthar?
Shashikant Suthar is a Chemistry teacher from Rajasthan's Sikar. He works at GCI Coaching center.
According to reports, Suthar came across a “guess paper” PDF shown to him by an acquaintance after the NEET exam on May 3. The document had reportedly been circulating in Telegram groups weeks before the examination.
Curious, Suthar decided to compare the PDF with the actual NEET-UG question paper. What he discovered left him stunned.
He claimed that nearly 140 questions matched the real exam paper, including identical wording, sequence and even punctuation marks. Suthar alleged that all 45 Chemistry questions in the viral PDF were exact matches, while a Biology PDF also showed strong similarities with the examination paper.
Realising the seriousness of the matter, Suthar immediately approached authorities and informed the administration. Emails were reportedly sent to the National Testing Agency (NTA), the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Ministry of Education.
Speaking to ANI, Suthar said the evidence was “concrete” and forced authorities to act swiftly. Rajasthan Police formed a Special Operations Group (SOG), while the CBI later joined the investigation as the alleged leak expanded into a multi-state examination scam.
“This time we had concrete evidence, and the government had to make a decision for re-NEET,” Suthar said.
He also expressed disappointment over the alleged involvement of educators in the controversy, saying the incident had deeply affected students who had prepared rigorously for the examination.
“As a teacher, I never thought a teacher would be involved in this. We need to understand that the sacrifices of students go to waste,” he added.
Amid mounting outrage over the alleged paper leak, authorities cancelled the NEET-UG 2026 examination. A re-examination has now been scheduled for June 21.
In response to the controversy, the Union Education Minister also announced that NEET-UG will be conducted in computer-based test (CBT) mode from next year to strengthen examination security and prevent future leaks.
Five persons have been arrested so far in the case including Mangilal Biwal, Vikas Biwal, Dinesh Biwal, Yash Yadav and Dhananjay Lokhande.
