NEET UG 2026: The National Testing Agency (NTA) on Tuesday cancelled NEET UG 2026 following allegations of irregularities and an ongoing investigation by central agencies. However, this is not the first time the country's biggest medical entrance examination has faced controversy.
In 2024, NEET UG was also hit by major paper leak allegations that triggered nationwide protests, court hearings and a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe.
The NEET UG 2024 examination was conducted on May 5 for over 23 lakh medical aspirants across India. Soon after the exam, allegations surfaced claiming that the question paper had been leaked before the examination, particularly in Bihar.
The alleged racket first came to light in Patna, where Bihar Police arrested several accused individuals for allegedly distributing solved question papers to candidates in exchange for large sums of money. Investigators claimed that some candidates had reportedly paid lakhs of rupees to gain access to leaked papers and answer keys before entering examination centres.
The controversy intensified after the declaration of NEET UG results on June 4, 2024. A total of 67 candidates secured a perfect score of 720 out of 720, while some students were awarded unusual marks such as 718 and 719, raising questions among students, parents and coaching institutes.
The NTA later clarified that these unusual scores were the result of "grace marks" awarded to candidates who allegedly lost examination time at certain centres.
As the issue escalated, protests broke out across several states, with students demanding cancellation of the examination, a nationwide re-test and greater transparency in the evaluation process.
Following mounting pressure, the Union Government handed over the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
During the probe, the CBI alleged that the paper leak had originated from Oasis School in Hazaribagh, Jharkhand, where sealed question papers were allegedly accessed before the examination began.
The investigation led to multiple arrests across Bihar, Jharkhand, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Maharashtra. Those arrested reportedly included alleged middlemen, school officials and even MBBS students from AIIMS Patna accused of helping candidates solve leaked papers.
The matter eventually reached the Supreme Court, where several petitions sought cancellation of the entire NEET UG 2024 examination and a nationwide re-test.
While hearing the case, the Supreme Court observed that the "sanctity" of the examination process had been affected. However, the court declined to order a nationwide re-examination, stating that there was no evidence to prove a systemic leak that had impacted all candidates across the country.
