India Cancels NEET-UG 2026 After Multi-State Paper Leak

The Government of India cancelled the NEET-UG 2026 medical entrance examination on May 12, 2026, after investigations confirmed that the May 3 test was compromised by a large-scale paper leak. The National Testing Agency (NTA) determined the process lacked integrity after a 150-page "guess paper" containing approximately 120 actual questions circulated via WhatsApp and Telegram. This affected roughly 22.79 lakh candidates across 551 Indian cities and 14 international locations.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) took over the probe from the Rajasthan Special Operations Group, registering an FIR for criminal conspiracy and cheating. The CBI arrested nine individuals across five states, including alleged kingpin PV Kulkarni, a Chemistry lecturer and NTA associate, and Manisha Gurunath Mandhare, an NTA expert. Investigators traced the leak to a network involving a printing press in Nashik, Maharashtra, and a distribution hub in Sikar, Rajasthan, where questions were sold to students for sums ranging from 200,000 to 500,000 rupees.

The cancellation sparked nationwide protests by student groups like the NSUI and ABVP, and drew fierce condemnation from opposition leaders. Rahul Gandhi and Arvind Kejriwal accused the government of systemic corruption, while Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay demanded the total abolition of NEET. In response, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan announced a re-examination for June 21, 2026, and revealed that the exam would transition to a Computer-Based Test (CBT) format starting in 2027 to eliminate the "examination mafia."