NEET UG exam 2026 rescheduled for June 21 after paper leak row
New Delhi: The National Testing Agency on Friday announced that the re-examination will be held NEET (UG) 2026 will be held on June 21, Sunday.The decision comes days after the company was dissolved NEET-UG The examination, held on May 3 after allegations of irregularities, affected lakhs of medical aspirants across the countryThe government has also ordered a comprehensive probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation into the alleged malpractices involved in the examination.At the time of earlier cancellation, NTA It said the decision was taken “in the interest of students” and to protect public confidence in the national examination system.“Subsequently based on inputs verified by NTA in coordination with central agencies and findings shared by law enforcement agencies, the National Testing Agency, with the approval of the Government of India, has decided to cancel the NEET (UG) 2026 examination held on 3 May 2026,” and the agency will not post the exam dates separately. on x.“Inputs received by the NTA, taken together with findings shared by law enforcement agencies, have established that the current examination process cannot be allowed to stand. Dates of re-held examinations, along with the schedule of re-issued admit cards, will be communicated through official channels of the agency in the coming days,” it added.Protests broke out in several cities after the exam was cancelled, with activists of the National Union of Students of India protesting against alleged paper leaks and exam irregularities.
Why was NEET-UG 2026 cancelled?
The controversy erupted after investigators found evidence that a so-called “guess paper” was circulated among NEET candidates weeks before the exam and contained questions that closely matched the actual paper.According to investigators, the documents included around 410 questions and were reportedly shared among students within a month of the 15 days to the May 3 exam. Officials said that around 120 chemistry questions were exactly matched to the actual NEET-UG 2026 paper.Authorities also claimed that the material was circulated through a WhatsApp group 42 hours before the test. Rajasthan Police’s Special Operations Group launched an investigation after reports surfaced that the circulated material showed “striking similarities” to the questions asked in the exam.SOG Additional Director General Vishal Bansal said investigators are checking whether the material is just a test series or part of a larger organized cheating racket. Bansal said that as more than 400 questions were circulated ahead of the exam, over 100 biology and chemistry questions showed “striking similarities” with NEET-UG 2026.
CBI is increasing the investigation
The Central Bureau of Investigation has now widened its probe and is probing a possible “inside role” in the leak. Another suspect was arrested from Pune, while a retired chemistry professor was detained for questioning in Latur.As the total number of arrests rises to seven, investigators are trying to determine whether there was a leak from the highly secure chain of custody before conducting tests.CBI officials are seeking details from the NTA about those who had access to the question paper before it was sealed. These include question setters, subject experts, professors, teachers and members of the translation panel involved in preparing the exam papers.In Pune, the CBI arrested beauty parlor owner Manisha Waghmare from Sukhsagar Nagar area, alleging that she acted as a middleman in the extortion network. He is accused of withdrawing money through nearly two dozen bank accounts before the exam.Investigators said Waghmare was linked to Dhananjay, a BAMS graduate who ran a consultancy in Pune and was among the six arrested earlier from Jaipur, Gurgaon, Nashik and Ahilya Nagar.The CBI said searches were conducted at 14 locations as the arrested suspects were produced before the court and sent to seven-day custody for questioning. “Many suspects are being interrogated. More arrests will be made in the coming days. CBI is following all leads,” an officer said earlier.In Latur, the retired chemistry professor detained for questioning was reportedly part of the Marathi translation panel for NEET. Sources said the person had access to the entire question paper during the translation process. NEET is conducted in 13 languages, requiring parallel translation under strict confidentiality protocols.Officials have not released the professor’s identity due to the sensitivity of the investigation.Latur, known as a major coaching hub in Maharashtra, has emerged as the main center of investigation. A parent recently complained that 42 questions in a mock test conducted by a private coaching institute in the city matched the original NEET paper.
Does the current examination system need extensive reform?
In Rajasthan, investigators suspect that one of the accused, Dinesh Biwal, scanned the leaked question paper and shared it digitally. He allegedly got the paper for his son from another accused, Yash Yadav of Gurgaon and later circulated it among students in Rajasthan’s Sikar district.In Delhi, the CBI told a local court that the case involved a “larger conspiracy” and sought custodial interrogation to trace financial transactions, recover electronic evidence and identify possible NTA officials linked to the leak.
