Atiya Mujeeb
Jammu,May 12:The National Testing Agency (NTA), acting on directions from the Government of India, has announced the cancellation of the NEET UG 2026 examination and confirmed that a fresh test will be held nationwide.
The move comes amid growing concerns over alleged malpractice and paper leak claims linked to the examination conducted on May 3, 2026, in which around 22 lakh aspirants had appeared. Questions over the credibility of the exam intensified after investigators reportedly found similarities between portions of the question paper and material circulated through unofficial “guess papers.”
Sources said central investigative agencies stepped in after irregularities in question patterns and suspicious external content were brought to notice during the initial inquiry. Several individuals have reportedly been detained, while probe teams in states including Rajasthan and Uttarakhand are investigating the possibility of organised circulation of exam-related material.
In its statement, the NTA maintained that the examination had been carried out with extensive security arrangements such as biometric authentication, AI-enabled monitoring systems and tightly regulated paper distribution procedures. Despite these measures, the agency said concerns regarding the sanctity of the examination prompted authorities to order its cancellation in the interest of fairness and transparency.
NEET UG serves as the country’s main entrance examination for undergraduate medical programmes, including MBBS and BDS courses. The decision is likely to affect the academic admission calendar for medical institutions across India, as counselling and admission schedules may now undergo changes pending the announcement of fresh examination dates.
The NTA is expected to release updated details about the revised examination timetable and related procedures shortly.
