New Delhi: The National Testing Agency (NTA) on Tuesday, May 12, announced the cancellation of NEET (UG) 2026 conducted on May 3, and said the examination will be re-conducted on dates to be notified separately.
The CBI will carry out a comprehensive inquiry into the allegations linked to the exam, the agency said.
In a statement, the NTA said the decision was taken in the interest of maintaining transparency and preserving trust in the national examination system.
“On the basis of inputs subsequently examined by NTA in coordination with central agencies, and the investigative findings shared by the law enforcement agencies, the National Testing Agency, with the approval of the Government of India, has decided to cancel the NEET (UG) 2026 examination conducted on 3 May 2026, and to re-conduct the examination on dates that will be notified separately,” the agency said.
The agency said the inputs received, taken together with findings shared by law enforcement agencies, established that the “present examination process could not be allowed to stand.”
“The re-conducted examination dates, along with the re-issued admit-card schedule, will be communicated through the official channels of the Agency in the coming days,” it added.
The NTA further said the government has decided to refer the matter to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for a comprehensive inquiry into the allegations linked to the examination.
“NTA will extend full cooperation to the Bureau and will provide all materials, records, and assistance the inquiry requires,” it added.
The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) was conducted by the NTA on May 3 for students seeking admission to medical education courses at the undergraduate level.
In a post on X on Sunday, the NTA had said question papers were transported in GPS-tracked vehicles carrying unique, traceable watermark identifiers, while examination centres were monitored through AI-assisted CCTV surveillance from a central control room.
“The National Testing Agency is aware of reports concerning the action initiated by the Rajasthan Special Operations Group in connection with alleged irregularities around NEET (UG) 2026. The examination on May 3, 2026 was conducted as scheduled and under a full security protocol,” the NTA had said.
According to the agency, inputs regarding alleged malpractice activity were received on the evening of May 7, four days after the examination, and were escalated to central agencies on the morning of May 8 for “independent verification and necessary action”.
It further said the action taken by law enforcement authorities, including recent detentions reported in the media, was a result of the “professional and timely work” of the investigating agencies.
Following the cancellation of the exam, a massive protest organised by the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) broke out near the Shastri Bhawan on Tuesday, against the alleged paper leak in NEET-UG this year.
The NEET-UG 2026 examination was held on May 3 across 551 cities in India and 14 cities abroad. The examination was organised by the NTA for nearly 23 lakh registered candidates at centres across the country.
No refresh registration required: NTA
According to the NTA, the registration data, candidature and examination centres opted for in the May 2026 cycle will be carried forward for the re-conducted examination.
“No fresh registration will be required, and no additional examination fee will be levied,” the statement said, adding that fees already paid by students will be refunded and the examination will be re-conducted using the NTA’s internal resources.
The agency said fresh examination dates and the revised admit-card schedule will be communicated through official channels in the coming days and advised candidates and parents to rely only on verified information released by the agency.
NSUI protests against paper leak
A massive protest organised by the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) broke out outside the Shastri Bhawan on Tuesday, against the alleged paper leak.
Several members of the Congress party’s student wing were seen participating in the protest, while holding placards that read ‘PM compromised, paper compromised’, ‘paper leak, Modi sarkar weak’, and ‘doctor ki degree bikao hain’ (doctor’s degree is for sale).
They also raised slogans like “chaatro pe attyachar bandh karo’ (stop oppression of students), amidst heavy barricading and police presence outside the Shstri Bhawan.
“Today’s decision to cancel NEET is a victory of student power and the voice of lakhs of aspirants across the country. NSUI was among the first organisations to raise this issue and demand justice for students,” NSUI National President Vinod Jakhar said.
“If the examination system was fair, the government would not have been forced to cancel the exam and order a CBI probe. This clearly exposes the failure of the education ministry and NTA,” he added.
PM’s ‘amrit kaal’ has turned into ‘vish kaal’ for country: Rahul
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi launched a scathing attack on the Modi government over the cancellation of the NEET (UG) 2026 examination, saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s so-called ‘amrit kaal’ has turned into a ‘vish kaal’ (poison-filled era) for the country.
Gandhi said the hard work, sacrifices, and dreams of more than 22 lakh students have been “crushed by this corrupt BJP regime.”
Every time, the paper mafia gets away scot-free, while honest students bear the punishment, Gandhi said.
Now, lakhs of students will once again endure the same mental stress, financial burden, and uncertainty, he said.
How will PM Modi answer the students? asks Asaduddin Owaisi
Hyderabad MP and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) President Asaduddin Owaisi also slammed the Centre over the paper leak, asking what was the use of making rules (like the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Bill) when papers still managed to get leaked.
“The PM had assured students during his radio show Mann Ki Baat and asked them not to be tense, now how will he answer them? Students who have been preparing for the past two years, parents who spent lakhs on coaching centres, what must they be going through?” he stated.
“BJP will have to answer. Maybe the PM will host another Mann Ki Baat, but the students are heartbroken, and their parents don’t know what they will do now,” he added.
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