BREAKING | May 12, 2026 | Education
NEET UG 2026 Paper Leak: India’s Biggest Medical Exam Under Fire — Again
Two years after the NEET 2024 scandal shook the nation, India’s 22.7 lakh medical aspirants are staring at déjà vu — and they are furious.
What Happened
A fresh controversy has erupted over NEET UG 2026 after an investigation by Rajasthan Police’s Special Operations Group (SOG) pointed to alleged irregularities, with over 100 test questions showing striking similarities to the actual questions asked in the entrance exam.
The question paper under scrutiny has been described as a “guess paper” which reportedly contained around 410 questions. Out of these, nearly 120 questions are alleged to have appeared in the Biology and Chemistry sections of the examination — covering a staggering 600 marks out of the 720-mark paper. This guess paper had been circulating among students as early as two days prior to the actual examination held on May 3. It was reportedly sent to students via WhatsApp messages 42 hours before NEET began.
13 Arrested — Kerala-Sikar Connection Emerges
The Rajasthan SOG has detained 13 suspects from Dehradun, Sikar, and Jhunjhunu in connection with the case. A Kerala-Sikar connection has now surfaced in the NEET UG 2026 alleged paper leak case, with investigators tracing the origin of the circulated material to Rajasthan’s Sikar district, from where it reportedly spread through private coaching networks.
The scale of the alleged operation — spanning multiple states and exploiting WhatsApp groups — has sent alarm bells ringing across India’s education system.
NTA Defends Itself — But Confirms It Knew
Despite billing NEET 2026 as the most secure exam in history, the National Testing Agency now finds itself in a familiar corner.
In response to the allegations, the NTA maintained that the examination was conducted as scheduled under full security protocol. “Question papers were transported in GPS-tracked vehicles bearing unique, traceable watermark identifiers. Examination halls operated under AI-assisted CCTV monitoring from a central control room, with biometric verification of every candidate and 5G jammers in operation,” the agency said.
However, the NTA’s own statement reveals a critical timeline problem. The agency revealed that it received inputs regarding alleged malpractice activities on the late evening of May 7 — four days after the examination was conducted. According to NTA, these inputs were immediately escalated to central agencies on the morning of May 8 for independent verification and necessary action.
In a May 10 statement, the NTA said it was aware of the Rajasthan SOG probe into alleged irregularities. “Whatever the agencies determine, including findings that may require further action, will be examined transparently and disclosed in keeping with established procedure,” the agency said.
Critics ask: if GPS tracking, biometrics, AI cameras, and 5G jammers were all deployed — how did 120 questions still allegedly leak 42 hours before the exam?
Congress Demands CBI Probe — Political Heat Rises
The controversy has now taken a sharp political turn. Rajasthan Congress has demanded a CBI investigation, cornering the government over the alleged leak. PCC Chief Govind Singh Dotasara said: “When 120 questions are matching, this is 100% a paper leak. A single state’s police cannot conduct a fair investigation. Congress demands CBI involvement so that the real faces of the paper mafia are exposed.”
The opposition’s demand carries weight given what happened in 2024. The NEET 2024 controversy triggered protests across several states and Supreme Court intervention. The Central Government on June 22, 2024, handed over the charge of investigating the alleged irregularities in the NEET UG 2024 examination to the CBI. The CBI identified 155 students who had directly benefited from the paper leak.
The Scale of NEET 2026 — What Is at Stake
This year, the examination saw massive participation, with over 22.79 lakh candidates registered for the country’s largest undergraduate medical entrance exam. 13,32,928 of the registered candidates were female, while 9,46,815 were male. The exam recorded an attendance rate of nearly 97 per cent.
For every single one of these students — many of whom spent years and lakhs of rupees preparing — the integrity of this examination is not a political debate. It is their entire future.
What Changed After 2024 — And Why It May Not Have Been Enough
Following the massive 2024 controversy, NTA had introduced several additional safeguards including multi-stage biometric verification, AI-assisted CCTV surveillance, GPS tracking of question papers, 5G signal jammers at centres, central monitoring systems, and active monitoring of social media platforms.
Yet the alleged leak — if proven — did not happen at the exam centre. It reportedly happened upstream, in the distribution chain, days before students even entered the hall. No amount of CCTV at the gate stops a leak inside the vault.
Key Facts at a Glance
| Detail | Facts |
|---|---|
| Exam Date | May 3, 2026 |
| Total Aspirants | 22.79 lakh |
| Questions in Guess Paper | 410 (120 allegedly matched) |
| Marks at Risk | 600 out of 720 |
| Leak Medium | WhatsApp, 42 hrs before exam |
| Suspects Arrested | 13 (Dehradun, Sikar, Jhunjhunu) |
| States Involved | Rajasthan, Kerala, Uttarakhand |
| NTA Response | Denies leak, confirms probe |
| Opposition Demand | CBI investigation |
What Happens Next
The Rajasthan SOG probe is ongoing. Political pressure for a CBI handover is mounting by the hour. The NTA has promised transparency. And 22.7 lakh students — most of them teenagers who spent everything they had on this one exam — are waiting, watching, and worried.
If the allegations are proven, India faces a familiar but heartbreaking question: can its largest, most high-stakes examination ever truly be made safe from those who profit from breaking it?
Disclaimer: This article is based on reports from Medical Dialogues, Deccan Herald, DNA India, and The India Moves as of May 12, 2026. All allegations are sub-judice and subject to ongoing investigation. Loktime does not endorse any political position.
