NTA to re-conduct NEET UG 2026 after paper leak
In a major setback for students who appeared in the NEET UG 2026, the National Testing Agency (NTA) has cancelled and decided to re-conduct the important medical entrance exam, conducted on Sunday May 03, 2026, after the agencies found evidence of paper leaks
NEET UG 2026: In a major setback for students who appeared in the NEET UG 2026, the National Testing Agency (NTA) has cancelled and decided to re-conduct the important medical entrance exam, conducted on Sunday May 03, 2026, after the agencies found evidence of paper leaks.
The National Testing Agency (NTA) had conducted the compulsory test for admission in MBBS, BDS, BUMS, BHMS and other medical courses - National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET UG 2026) on Sunday May 03, 2026 at various exam centers in India. More than 22 lakh students had appeared in the exam.
Three days later, the NTA published the NEET UG 2026 Provisional Answer Keys and was planning to announce the result. However, it announced to cancel the exam as the outrage over paper leak refused to calm down.
"On the basis of the inputs subsequently examined by NTA in coordination with the central agencies, and the investigative findings shared by the law enforcement agencies and in order to ensure that there is transparency in the system, the National Testing Agency, with the approval of the Government of India, has decided to cancel the NEET (UG) 2026 examination conducted on 3 May 2026, and to re-conduct the examination on dates that will be notified separately", the NTA said in a statement released today.
NEET UG 2026 Paper Leak
The move follows after the reports that NEET UG 2026 question paper was leaked and circulated on WhatsApp and other platforms.
According to The Times of India, the Rajasthan Police Special Operations Group (SOG) was probing the case linked to, what is claimed to be, the circulation of NEET UG “Guess Paper”.
The TOI citing the investigating officers reported that the “guess paper” set had been circulating among NEET aspirants between 15 days and one month before the examination.
The English daily citing officials said that the document contained around 410 questions, with nearly 120 questions from the Chemistry section matching the examination paper exactly.
Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi had earlier also joined the protesters demanding action against paper leak.
Following the outrage, the NTA cancelled the 2026 NEET Exam and said, "The inputs received by NTA, taken together with the findings shared by the law enforcement agencies, established that the present examination process could not be allowed to stand."
NEET UG 2026: New Date Soon
The NTA said NEET UG 2026 re-exam schedule and new date will be published soon.
"The re-conducted examination dates, along with the re-issued admit-card schedule, will be communicated through the official channels of the Agency in the coming days", the NTA said.
The NTA further said the registration data, candidature, and examination centres opted for in the May 2026 cycle will be carried forward to the re-conducted examination. No fresh registration will be required, and no additional examination fee will be levied. "In addition, fees already paid, will be refunded to the students and the exam will be re-conducted using NTA’s internal resources", the NTA said.
The allegations of irregularities in NEET medical entrance are new. In 2024, there was a massive row when grace marks was accorded to some students. The NTA chief was sacked after the matter moved to the Supreme Court, and re-exam was conducted for the student given grace marks. The matter was also referred to CBI for further investigations.
This time too the CBI said the NEET UG 2026 paper leak case has been handed over to the CBI. "The Government of India has further decided to refer the matter to the Central Bureau of Investigation for a comprehensive inquiry into the allegations therein", the NTA said in the statement released today.
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