GUWAHATI: The National Testing Agency (NTA) on Thursday, May 21, told the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education that no full-fledged paper leak had taken place in the controversial NEET-UG 2026 examination, maintaining that “only certain questions came out” and that isolated instances of malpractice led to the cancellation of the exam.
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According to sources, NTA officials informed the panel that while irregularities and question leaks were detected, they did not amount to a complete compromise of the examination paper. The agency stressed that even limited breaches could undermine public trust in the examination system, prompting it to cancel the exam under its “zero-tolerance” policy.
The statement, however, appears to contradict remarks made earlier by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who publicly acknowledged a “breach in the chain of command” while addressing the controversy surrounding the medical entrance examination.
Speaking at a press conference on May 15, Pradhan said the government accepted responsibility for the lapse and assured strict action against those involved. Referring to the high-level committee headed by former ISRO Chairman K Radhakrishnan, formed after the 2024 NEET paper leak controversy, the minister said that despite implementing the committee’s recommendations, there had still been a breach in the examination system.
He described the leak as the work of an organised “education mafia” and said the government decided to cancel the examination to protect honest students and maintain the integrity of the selection process. Pradhan also stated that the CBI was carrying out a detailed investigation and warned that officials would not be spared if found guilty.
NTA chief Abhishek Singh and Higher Education Secretary Vineet Joshi appeared before the parliamentary panel amid mounting criticism over the conduct of the exam. Officials reportedly told the committee that several recommendations aimed at making NEET more secure had already been implemented, while work on additional safeguards was ongoing.
The NEET-UG 2026 examination, conducted on May 3, was cancelled after allegations surfaced that a “guess paper” circulating before the exam matched several actual questions. The controversy triggered protests across the country and led to investigations by the CBI.
The probe has so far resulted in multiple arrests across different states, including alleged intermediaries, teachers, examination centre staff and others accused of facilitating irregularities during the examination process.
Meanwhile, the NTA has announced that the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination will be held on June 21 from 2 pm to 5:15 pm. Candidates will not be required to register again or pay any additional fee, as existing registrations will remain valid. Fresh admit cards are expected to be issued before the re-test, and students have also been given the option to update their preferred exam city.
Authorities have said that stricter monitoring systems and additional security measures will be put in place for the re-examination following concerns over examination security and fairness.