New Delhi: The National Test Agency has decided to cancel the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test Undergraduate 2026 held on 3 May. The decision has been taken after following the input from central agencies and findings shared by law enforcement authorities, revealing alleged irregularities in the exam process. The NTA will conduct fresh exams.
“We got some reports on 7 May and, as we had committed to a zero-tolerance approach towards any irregularity in examinations, we examined those inputs seriously. Part of the allegations mentioned in the PDF were found to have merit. We decided that nothing should happen which could impact the integrity of the examination,” Abhishek Singh, Director, NTA, told ThePrint.
“There will be a retest, there will be a CBI inquiry, no fresh fee will be charged from students and the fees already paid will be refunded,” the official added.
On measures to prevent future leaks, the official said, “There is a CNC committee recommendation and we will bring in necessary interventions to cure the malaise.”
“With the findings shared by the law enforcement agencies, established that the present examination process could not be allowed to stand. 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,” said the NTA statement released on Tuesday.
Leak allegations across multiple states
Right after the exam on 3 May, allegations of a paper leak began surfacing from multiple states. Rajasthan Police Special Operations Group (SOG) detained several suspects from districts including Sikar and Jaipur. Investigations were also launched in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand following claims that question papers had been circulated before the exam.
“Out of 360 questions across both sets, approximately 140 questions in the released paper appear to match what was allegedly leaked. While many are calling this statistically impossible to be a coincidence, the court may take the view that a 40% overlap is not conclusive proof of a leak —particularly since questions are drawn from standard textbooks and the actual paper was not found in anyone’s possession, nor was any leak through electronic means established,” said Keshav Agarwal, President, Educators Federation Delhi.
The alleged leak had reignited concerns over the credibility of the examination and students were demanding either a probe or cancellation of the test. Opposition parties also targeted the government over the allegations. The NTA has said that the matter has now been referred to the Central Bureau of Investigation for a “comprehensive inquiry” into the allegations linked to the examination.
“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. NTA will extend full cooperation to the Bureau and will provide all materials, records, and assistance the inquiry requires,” the statement said.
The dates and revised admit card schedule will be announced soon separately in coming days through official channels. According to the NTA, the decision to cancel the examination was taken “in the interest of students and in recognition of the trust on which the national examination system rests”.
“The Agency is conscious that re-conduct will cause real and significant inconvenience to candidates and their families. NTA does not take that consequence lightly. The decision has been taken because the alternative would have caused greater and more lasting damage to that trust,” the statement added.
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NEET controversies
This is not the first time the NTA has faced allegations over the conduct of NEET. In 2024, too, the agency came under massive criticism after an unusually high number of candidates secured Rank 1, and questions were raised over grace marks, inflated scores, and the overall integrity of the examination process. Investigations were launched in Bihar, Gujarat and other states after allegations of paper leaks and organised cheating surfaced, leading to multiple arrests by state police agencies.
Students, parents and teachers reached the Supreme Court to ask for the cancellation of the exam, but the court eventually refused to order a re-test for all candidates; it had observed that the “sanctity” of the examination had been affected in certain centres. The Centre later announced reforms in the functioning of the NTA, including changes in exam security protocols and governance mechanisms.
(Edited by Ratan Priya)