NTA director general Abhishek Singh has confirmed that the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test for Undergraduate courses (NEET-UG) 2026 has been cancelled due to a paper leak. The decision was made after at least 120 questions from a 'guess paper' were found to overlap with the May 3 examination paper.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) will investigate the matter, and Singh has warned of strict action against those responsible. He described the cancellation as a 'short-term pain for long-term reform', adding that the agency will replace its contractual staff with permanent personnel within six to nine months.
The exact number of matched questions and other details will become clear after the CBI investigation. State authorities will coordinate with CBI and share all relevant inputs for the probe.
Singh emphasized that NTA's responsibility is to reconduct the examination if its integrity is compromised, and to do so as quickly as possible so that students' careers are not adversely affected.
The agency has handed the matter to CBI, citing its reputation as the biggest investigative agency in India for such inquiries.
NTA will implement the Radhakrishnan committee's recommendations, including replacing contractual staff with permanent, accountable personnel, within the next six to nine months.
