The Central Government has cancelled the NEET UG 2026 examination. The government has stated that new dates for the examination will be announced shortly.
The NTA, the agency responsible for conducting the NEET UG 2026 exam, issued a statement clarifying that the decision to cancel the NEET UG 2026 exam was taken following approval from the Central Government.
The examination was originally held on May 3; however, it had come under scrutiny amidst suspicions of a paper leak. The NTA has affirmed that the new dates for the examination will be announced very soon.
CBI to Investigate Paper Leak
The Government of India has decided that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) will conduct the inquiry into this matter to ensure a comprehensive investigation into the allegations leveled therein. The NTA will extend full cooperation to the Bureau and provide all necessary materials, records, and assistance required for the investigation.
The NTA has stated that a press note regarding the NEET (UG) 2026 examination was previously issued on May 10, 2026. The agency has now apprised students, parents, and the general public of certain new decisions.
Fees Will Be Refunded; No Need to Re-register
The NTA has announced that students will not be required to re-register for the examination. Furthermore, there will be no changes to the previously assigned exam centers. New admit cards will also be issued for the re-examination. Additionally, the examination fees paid by the students who appeared for the exam will be refunded.
Investigation Initiated on May 8
The NTA stated that, as early as May 8, 2026, certain investigations related to this matter were handed over to central agencies to ensure the fairness and security of the examination process.
Now, acting on information received from the investigative agencies and with the approval of the government, the NTA has decided to cancel the NEET (UG) examination held on May 3, 2026, and to conduct it afresh. The dates for the new examination will be announced at a later time.
Based on the findings provided by the investigative agencies, it was determined that the existing examination process could not be allowed to continue. Therefore, to uphold transparency, the examination will be conducted again.
Handwritten ‘Guess Papers’ Recovered in Rajasthan
The NEET UG 2026 examination was conducted nationwide on May 3. There are apprehensions that the examination paper had been leaked prior to the exam. In Rajasthan, handwritten ‘guess papers’ were recovered from several students, containing questions that matched those in the actual examination paper.
On May 10, acting on intelligence inputs, the Rajasthan Special Operations Group (SOG) detained 13 suspects from Dehradun, Sikar, and Jhunjhunu. Among those detained is a career counselor associated with a coaching institute in Sikar.
Questions Worth 600 Marks Out of 720 Found to Be Common
The investigation has revealed that questions accounting for 600 out of the total 720 marks in the examination had reached students in Sikar two days prior to the exam. Specifically, a ‘guess paper’ was sent on May 1 by a student pursuing an MBBS degree at a college in Kerala to a friend in Sikar.