New Delhi, May 11: Fresh allegations of irregularities in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test Undergraduate (NEET-UG) 2026 examination have surfaced, with the Rajasthan Police’s Special Operations Group (SOG) launching an investigation into claims that question sets resembling the actual paper were circulated before the exam.
The development comes just days after NEET-UG 2026 was conducted on May 3 for over 22.79 lakh candidates across India and abroad, once again placing the country’s largest medical entrance examination under intense scrutiny.
Responding to the controversy, the National Testing Agency (NTA) issued a detailed clarification on social media, stressing that the examination was conducted “under a full security protocol” and that the matter is now under investigation by law enforcement agencies.
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What triggered the latest controversy?
According to information shared by Rajasthan Police officials, investigators are probing alleged malpractice after certain question sets circulated before the examination reportedly showed similarities with the actual NEET-UG paper.
Officials involved in the probe stated that investigators recovered a document containing more than 400 questions that had allegedly been circulated days before the exam. Out of these, over 100 questions from Biology and Chemistry were said to bear “striking similarities” to those that eventually appeared in the examination.
As per reports, authorities have described the material as resembling a “guess paper” or coaching-style test series, though investigators have not ruled out the possibility of a larger organised network.
Searches and questioning have reportedly been carried out across multiple cities in Rajasthan as well as in Uttarakhand as part of the investigation.
What has NTA said?
In its official clarification, NTA stated that the exam held on May 3 was conducted as scheduled and under extensive monitoring systems.
“The examination on 3 May 2026 was conducted as scheduled and under a full security protocol,” the agency said.
NTA further stated that question papers were transported in “GPS-tracked vehicles bearing unique, traceable watermark identifiers”, while exam centres functioned under “AI-assisted CCTV monitoring from a central control room, with biometric verification of every candidate and 5G jammers in operation.”
The agency emphasised that the examination process itself “proceeded as planned across all centres on the day.”
Inputs received four days after exam
According to NTA, the agency only received information regarding the alleged malpractice on the night of May 7, four days after the examination had already concluded.
“On the late evening of 7 May 2026, four days after the examination, NTA received inputs concerning alleged malpractice activity around the examination,” the agency said.
It added that the matter was immediately escalated to central agencies on the morning of May 8 for “independent verification and necessary action.”
NTA also acknowledged the role of law enforcement agencies in the ongoing probe, saying the detentions and action reported in recent days were the result of their “professional and timely work.”
The agency stated that it is cooperating fully by sharing “all examination-related data and technical assistance required.”
NTA says investigation is ongoing
The testing agency has maintained that the matter is still under investigation and that “the facts will be established by the agencies in due course,” NTA said.
Importantly, the agency also stated, “NTA will not pre-judge the inquiry, nor characterise its likely outcome.”
The clarification added that any further steps, if required, would be taken “in consultation with the Ministry of Education at the appropriate stage.”
Over 22 lakh students appeared this year
NEET-UG 2026 was conducted on May 3 in a single shift from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm for over 22.79 lakh candidates. Out of these, around 13.32 lakh candidates were female, while approximately 9.46 lakh were male candidates.
The examination serves as the single gateway for admissions into undergraduate medical programmes across India.
Following the massive paper leak controversy and irregularities in 2024, NTA had introduced multiple additional security measures this year, including multi-stage biometric verification, AI-assisted CCTV surveillance, GPS tracking of question papers, 5G signal jammers at centres and central monitoring systems.
The agency had repeatedly described the 2026 examination as highly secure and “leak-proof”.
Heightened sensitivity around NEET-UG
The fresh allegations now carry heightened sensitivity this year because NEET-UG 2024 had also witnessed major controversy over alleged paper leaks and exam irregularities, leading to protests, court cases, and even investigations by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Although the Supreme Court later ruled that there was no evidence of a “systemic breach” large enough to cancel the entire examination, the episode severely impacted public trust in national-level entrance examinations.(DH)
