NEET-UG 2026 cancelled amid paper leak allegations; exam to be reconducted as CBT from next year
The National Testing Agency (NTA) has cancelled the NEET-UG 2026 exam after allegations that a substantial portion of the question paper was leaked and circulated on WhatsApp and Telegram before the test. Reports indicate that over 100 of the 410 questions matched leaked sets allegedly originating from a printing press in Jaipur and distributed through a multi-state network. The cancelled exam had been conducted across around 5,000 centres for nearly 22 lakh aspirants. Following public outrage and student protests in Delhi and other cities, the Union government handed over the probe to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The Education Minister has announced that NEET-UG will be shifted completely to computer-based testing (CBT) from the next cycle to curb malpractice. The Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024—enforced from 21 June 2024—will be invoked, providing for 3–5 years’ imprisonment and fines up to ₹10 lakh for individuals involved. Authorities now face a tight timeline to reconduct NEET and release results before medical college admissions begin in about two months.
Try the question
Which central agency has been entrusted with investigating the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak?
Answer: (b) Central Bureau of Investigation
The correct answer is (b) Central Bureau of Investigation.