NEET Under Scanner Again: Leak Allegations Raise Fresh Questions About the System
New Delhi: For millions of medical aspirants across the country, the NEET-UG 2026 examination has once again become a source of disappointment and uncertainty. On Tuesday, the National Testing Agency (NTA) took the unprecedented decision to cancel the examination held on May 5, 2026, following serious allegations of a question paper leak. This time, approximately 23 lakh students had appeared for the exam.
This marks the first time that this national entrance examination, in its current format, has been cancelled nationwide; however, this is not the first time that its credibility has faced a crisis.
Arriving just two years after the major controversy of 2024, this latest crisis has cast serious doubts not only on the functioning of the NTA but also on the overall credibility of the entire selection process. The current controversy revolves around a 'guess paper' linked to Sikar, Rajasthan.
It is alleged that approximately 120 Chemistry questions and several sections of the Biology paper were leaked nearly a month prior to the examination. The investigation into this matter has now been handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The NTA has also clarified that a new date for the examination will be announced only after the investigation is complete and the situation has been thoroughly reviewed.
Not the first instance of NEET being embroiled in controversy
However, this is not the first instance of NEET being embroiled in controversy. Previously, in 2024, allegations of paper leaks in Hazaribagh (Jharkhand) and Patna (Bihar) had sparked nationwide protests.
At that time as well, investigators alleged that candidates had paid to gain access to solved question papers just prior to the examination. The matter reached the Supreme Court, where questions were raised regarding the unusually high number of students who had secured a perfect 100% score.
However, the Court declined to cancel the entire examination at that time, as the evidence presented failed to establish a "widespread institutional failure." Consequently, a re-examination was conducted only for the 1,563 candidates who had been awarded "grace marks" to compensate for the loss of time during the exam.
In that very year (2024), the crisis regarding the credibility of examinations was so profound that the UGC-NET had to be cancelled just one day after it was conducted, while examinations such as NEET-PG and CSIR-UGC NET had to be postponed.
Country had witnessed a similar scenario in 2015
Even before the advent of NEET, the country had witnessed a similar scenario in 2015. At that time, the Supreme Court issued a historic order cancelling the 'All India Pre-Medical/Pre-Dental Test' (AIPMT), which was conducted by the CBSE. During that period, investigators busted an organized cheating ring in which candidates were utilizing jackets equipped with Bluetooth devices and micro-SIM cards.
After the Haryana Police confirmed the involvement of at least 44 beneficiaries, the court ordered a re-examination. Notably, NEET-UG replaced the AIPMT in 2016.
Initially, the responsibility for this examination lay with the CBSE, but it was transferred to the NTA in 2019. However, the journey spanning from the leak controversy of 2024 to the complete cancellation in 2026 has made it abundantly clear that the credibility of the medical entrance examination is currently passing through its most severe crisis to date. The future of millions of students now hinges upon the ongoing CBI investigation and the transparency of the upcoming re-examination.