BackLAW
Testing troubles: NEET-UG 2026 cancellation and investigations
NEET-UG 2026 was canceled after investigators found a 'guess paper' matched questions from the exam. The material reportedly circulated to coaching hubs in Rajasthan, with 15 arrests and a CBI inquiry ordered by the government. The incident follows a history of NEET controversies and recommendations for exam reforms by the K. Radhakrishnan committee.
Why It Matters
The cancellation tests public trust in a national entrance exam system and may prompt reforms to secure testing processes and deter malpractices affecting lakhs of students.
Timeline
7 Events
May 13, 2026: Article reporting the event published
May 13, 2026
Article reporting the cancellation and ongoing investigations was published.
May 12, 2026: Cancellation and investigation launched
May 12, 2026
NTA announced the cancellation of NEET-UG 2026 amid paper-leak allegations; the government tasked the CBI to conduct a comprehensive inquiry; Rajasthan Police SOG arrested 15 people linked to the leakage.
May 3, 2026: NEET-UG 2026 conducted
May 3, 2026
NEET-UG 2026 was held on May 3, 2026.
April 2026: alleged early access to 'guess paper' in Rajasthan
April 2026
Media reports claimed the 'guess paper'—a collection of predicted high-importance questions—had reached coaching hubs in Rajasthan nearly a month before the exam and had been sold to aspirants.
2024 paper leak and grace marks controversy
2024
In 2024, NEET faced a paper leak and a controversy over grace marks.
2022 frisking controversy in Kerala
2022
In 2022, there was a controversy over the frisking of girl examinees in Kerala during NEET-related testing.
2019 impersonation scam in Tamil Nadu
2019
In 2019, there was an impersonation scam in Tamil Nadu in which students used proxies to write the NEET exam.