NEET UG 2026 Re-Exam: From Alleged Paper Leak to Retest Under Heavy Security
The National Testing Agency (NTA) is set to conduct the NEET UG 2026 re-examination on Sunday, June 21, under unprecedented security measures. This follows the cancellation of the original exam held on May 3 due to allegations of a paper leak. Over 22.79 lakh aspirants will appear at 5,440 centres across 551 cities in India and 14 locations abroad, with the test offered in English and 12 Indian languages.
As part of the revamped security plan, the NTA has equipped more than 95,000 exam rooms with CCTV surveillance, installed 1,38,560 cameras, deployed 51,311 jammers, doubled biometric verification staff, and implemented AI-based monitoring of live camera feeds. A nationwide mock drill was conducted on June 20 to test arrangements including frisking, biometric checks, CCTV surveillance, and jammer functionality. The agency urged candidates and parents to rely only on official communications and ignore rumours or fake paper leak claims circulating on social media.
The controversy began on the night of May 2 when an alleged leak first came to light. According to the Rajasthan Police Special Operations Group (SOG) probe, a student from Sikar studying in Kerala reportedly sent the question paper to his father, a hostel owner in Rajasthan. Investigators suspect the paper had been in circulation about 45 hours before the examination and had reached several students in Sikar, Jaipur's outskirts, and rural coaching hubs. The alleged leak is believed to have been carried out by a gang based in Haryana.
On May 3, the NEET UG 2026 examination was conducted under the NTA's standard security protocol. Question papers were transported in GPS-tracked vehicles with traceable watermark identifiers, and examination halls were monitored through AI-assisted CCTV surveillance, biometric verification, and 5G jammers. On the same day, the father of the Sikar student lodged a complaint with the Udyog Nagar police station and the NTA, alleging that a suspicious 'question bank' or 'guess paper' had been circulated among a large number of students before the examination.
Between May 6 and 7, online chats and discussions about the paper and answer key began surfacing. Students and coaching centres reportedly referred to a 'question bank' that allegedly contained several questions similar to those in the actual NEET UG paper. On the late evening of May 7, the NTA received formal inputs regarding alleged malpractice from Rajasthan, including a PDF alleging irregularities.
On May 8, the NTA escalated the matter to central agencies for independent verification. On May 10, the Rajasthan Police SOG formally began its probe, and by May 12, at least 13 people had been arrested from Sikar and nearby areas. On May 12, the NTA cancelled the NEET UG 2026 exam and announced a re-test, with the matter referred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
This timeline outlines key events from the initial leak allegations to the upcoming re-examination under heightened security.
