NEW DELHI: The National Testing Agency on Friday announced that the re-examination for NEET (UG) 2026 will be held on June 21, Sunday.The decision comes days after the agency cancelled the NEET-UG exam conducted on May 3 following allegations of irregularities, impacting lakhs of medical aspirants across the countryThe government had also ordered a comprehensive probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation into the alleged malpractice linked to the examination.While announcing the cancellation earlier, the NTA said the decision was taken “in the interest of students” and to preserve public trust in the national examination system.“On the basis of inputs subsequently examined by NTA in coordination with central agencies, and the investigative findings shared by the law enforcement agencies, 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 agency had posted on X.“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. 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,” it added.Protests erupted in several cities after the cancellation of the exam, with workers of the National Students’ Union of India staging demonstrations against the alleged paper leak and examination irregularities.
Why was NEET-UG 2026 cancelled?
The controversy began after investigators found evidence suggesting that a so-called “guess paper” had been circulated among NEET aspirants weeks before the examination and allegedly contained questions closely matching the actual paper.According to investigators, the document included around 410 questions and was reportedly shared among students between 15 days and a month before the May 3 exam. Officials said nearly 120 Chemistry questions allegedly matched the actual NEET-UG 2026 paper exactly.Authorities also claimed that the material was circulated through WhatsApp groups as little as 42 hours before the examination. The Rajasthan Police Special Operations Group launched a probe after reports surfaced that the circulated material showed “striking similarities” with questions asked in the exam.SOG Additional Director General Vishal Bansal said investigators were examining whether the material was simply a test series or part of a larger organised cheating racket. Bansal said more than 400 questions had circulated before the exam, with over 100 Biology and Chemistry questions showing “striking similarities” to those in NEET-UG 2026.
CBI widens probe
The Central Bureau of Investigation has now widened its investigation and is probing a possible “insider role” in the leak. One more suspect was arrested from Pune, while a retired chemistry professor was detained for questioning in Latur.With total arrests rising to seven, investigators are trying to determine whether the leak originated from within the highly secure chain of custody before the exam was conducted.CBI officials are seeking details from the NTA about everyone who had access to the question paper before it was sealed. This includes question setters, subject experts, professors, teachers and members of translation panels involved in preparing the exam paper.In Pune, the CBI arrested Manisha Waghmare, a beauty parlour owner from Sukhsagar Nagar area, alleging that she acted as an intermediary in the leak network. She is accused of receiving money through around two dozen bank accounts ahead of the exam.Investigators said Waghmare was linked to Dhananjay, a BAMS graduate who ran a consultancy in Pune and was among six people arrested earlier from Jaipur, Gurgaon, Nasik and Ahilya Nagar.CBI said searches were carried out at 14 locations as the arrested suspects were produced before court and sent to seven days’ custody for interrogation. “Several other suspects are being interrogated. More arrests will be made in the coming days. CBI is pursuing all leads,” an officer had earlier said.In Latur, the retired chemistry professor detained for questioning was reportedly part of the Marathi translation panel for NEET. Sources said the individual had access to the complete question paper during the translation process. NEET is conducted in 13 languages, requiring parallel translation under strict confidentiality protocols.Officials have not disclosed the professor’s identity due to the sensitivity of the investigation.Latur, known as a major coaching hub in Maharashtra, has emerged as a key focus of the probe. A parent recently alleged that 42 questions in a mock test conducted by a private coaching institute in the city matched those in the actual NEET paper.
Is a comprehensive reform needed in the current examination system?
In Rajasthan, investigators suspect that one of the accused, Dinesh Biwal, scanned the leaked question paper and shared it digitally. He allegedly obtained the paper from another accused, Yash Yadav of Gurgaon, for his son 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.
