NTA debars Latur coaching centre owner’s son from NEET-UG for two years in paper leak case

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has barred Aditya Motegaonkar, son of Latur-based coaching centre owner Shivraj Motegaonkar, from appearing for the NEET-UG examination for two years. Shivraj Motegaonkar is an accused in this year’s NEET-UG paper leak case and is currently in judicial custody after his arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

According to an NTA communication dated September 19, Aditya Motegaonkar’s result for the examination held earlier this year has been withheld. The agency has also declared him ineligible to appear for NEET-UG 2027. The action follows allegations of irregularities connected to the examination.

The CBI has alleged that Shivraj Motegaonkar paid ₹5 lakh to procure chemistry questions from P.V. Kulkarni, who was on the NTA panel that set the questions for the examination. The agency has further alleged that his son attended Kulkarni’s coaching classes, where the questions were provided. These are allegations made in the course of the investigation. Under Indian law, an accused is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

After the NTA conducted a retest on June 21, it put Aditya Motegaonkar’s result on hold and sought his explanation regarding the alleged irregularities. In his response, he denied having used any unfair means during the examination. He also contended that the notice issued to him related to alleged irregularities in the May 3 examination and questioned why his result in the subsequent retest had been withheld.

The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (Undergraduate), or NEET-UG, is conducted by the NTA for medical aspirants. It is the gateway examination for admission to undergraduate medical courses in the country. On May 12, the NTA cancelled the NEET-UG held on May 3 for admissions to medical courses following allegations of a paper leak. A re-examination was conducted on June 21.

The CBI last month submitted its final report before the designated fast-track court in Delhi dealing with “criminal cases arising from paper leaks as well as the use of other unfair means in public examinations”. The court is specially designated to handle such cases. The submission of the final report is a step in the legal process; it does not by itself establish guilt.

The NTA’s decision to debar a candidate for two years is a significant action in the ongoing examination integrity case. It affects the candidate’s immediate academic prospects, while the criminal proceedings against the accused continue separately. The NTA has not publicly detailed the full reasoning behind the withholding of the result and the debarment beyond the communication cited.

This case is part of a wider examination of how public entrance tests are conducted and secured. NEET-UG results determine access to medical education, and allegations of leaks have led to protests, litigation and heightened scrutiny of the NTA. The agency has said it is taking steps to protect the integrity of the examination process. The CBI investigation and the fast-track court proceedings are expected to provide further clarity on the allegations.

The right to fair investigation and fair trial is a constitutional guarantee. Any person facing allegations is entitled to due process. At the same time, candidates and parents expect examinations to be free of unfair means. The balance between these principles will be tested as the case proceeds.