CBI registers FIR to probe NEET-UG 2026 paper leak

The Central Bureau of Investigation on Tuesday registered an FIR in connection with the alleged irregularities and paper leak in the conduct of the NEET-UG 2026 examination, intensifying the probe into one of the country’s biggest entrance test controversies.

The FIR was lodged following a written complaint from the Department of Higher Education under the Ministry of Education. IT has been registered under provisions related to criminal conspiracy, cheating, criminal breach of trust, theft and destruction of evidence under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) while charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, have also been included.

Officials said special CBI teams have been constituted and sent to multiple locations to investigate the alleged malpractice.

The development came hours after the Centre cancelled the NEET-UG 2026 examination conducted on May 3, citing concerns over the integrity and transparency of the process. The government has announced that the examination will be reconducted on a later date.

The National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts the medical entrance examination, said the decision was taken after inputs from central agencies raised serious concerns regarding the examination process.

The cancellation has triggered anxiety among more than 22 lakh medical aspirants and their families, many of whom are now awaiting clarity on the fresh examination schedule, admit cards, examination centres and counselling timelines.

NTA Director General Abhishek Singh said the schedule for the re-examination would be announced within the next seven to 10 days and added that efforts were being made to complete the process quickly to avoid disruption to the academic calendar and medical admissions.

The agency clarified that students would not have to register again and no fresh examination fee would be charged. Existing candidature and registration data from the May 2026 cycle will be carried forward.

Fresh admit cards, however, will be issued before the re-examination. While the NTA said candidates’ previously selected examination centres would largely be retained, it has not ruled out possible changes in centre allotments.

The agency also said the examination would be reconducted using its “internal resources”.

The NTA maintained that the May 3 examination had been conducted under a “full security protocol”, including GPS-tracked movement of question papers, biometric verification, AI-assisted CCTV monitoring and deployment of 5G jammers. Despite these measures, allegations of irregularities surfaced, prompting investigations by agencies including the Rajasthan Special Operations Group (SOG).

“NTA will extend full cooperation to the Bureau and provide all materials, records and assistance required for the inquiry,” the agency said.

Describing the decision as necessary to preserve public confidence in the examination system, the NTA acknowledged the inconvenience caused to students and parents but said allowing the examination process to stand would have caused “greater and more lasting damage” to public trust.

Students and parents have been advised to rely only on official NTA communication channels for updates regarding the re-examination and to ignore unverified information circulating on social media.

NEET has faced repeated scrutiny in recent years over allegations of paper leaks and examination irregularities, raising broader concerns over the credibility and security of large-scale competitive examinations in the country.

Published on May 12, 2026