NTA Cancels NEET-UG 2026 Over Alleged Irregularities, Re-Exam to Be Conducted

New Delhi, May 2026 : In a major development affecting lakhs of medical aspirants across the country, the National Testing Agency (NTA) on Tuesday announced the cancellation of the NEET-UG 2026 examination conducted on May 3 and declared that the examination would be held again on fresh dates to be announced separately.

The decision was taken after the agency reviewed inputs and findings shared by Central investigative agencies and law enforcement authorities regarding alleged irregularities in the conduct of the examination.

Issuing an official statement on social media platform X, the NTA said the step was necessary to preserve the credibility, transparency and integrity of the national examination system.

“In continuation of its press release dated May 10, 2026, the National Testing Agency wishes to inform candidates, parents and members of the public of the following decisions taken in respect of NEET (UG) 2026,” the statement said.

The agency noted that it had earlier referred the matter to Central agencies on May 8 for independent verification and investigation after reports of possible malpractice emerged from several locations.

“NTA had, on May 8, 2026, referred the matters then under consideration to the central agencies for independent verification and necessary action, consistent with its standing commitment to the fair, secure and credible conduct of national examinations entrusted to it,” the statement added.

According to the agency, the findings received from investigative authorities indicated that the integrity of the examination process had been compromised to an extent that the results could not be allowed to stand.

“On the basis of the inputs subsequently examined by NTA in coordination with the central agencies, and the investigative findings shared by the law enforcement agencies, and in order to ensure transparency in the system, the National Testing Agency, with the approval of the Government of India, has decided to cancel the NEET (UG) 2026 examination conducted on May 3, 2026,” the agency said.

The NTA also announced that the Government of India has decided to hand over the entire matter to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for a comprehensive inquiry into the allegations linked to the examination.

“The Government of India has further decided to refer the matter to the Central Bureau of Investigation for a comprehensive inquiry into the allegations therein. NTA will extend full cooperation to the Bureau and will provide all materials, records and assistance the inquiry requires,” the statement said.

The agency admitted that the cancellation and re-examination would cause inconvenience to students and their families but maintained that protecting the credibility of the examination system was of paramount importance.

“This decision has been taken in the interest of students and in recognition of the trust on which the national examination system rests. The Agency is conscious that the re-conduct will cause real and significant inconvenience to candidates and their families. However, the alternative would have caused greater and more lasting damage to that trust,” the NTA stated.

To reduce the burden on candidates, the agency clarified that no fresh registration process would be required for the re-examination. The existing application details, examination centres and candidature submitted during the May 2026 cycle would remain valid for the fresh examination process.

The NTA further announced that candidates would not be required to pay any additional fee for the re-conducted examination. It also stated that the examination fee already paid by candidates would be refunded, while the cost of conducting the fresh examination would be borne through the agency’s internal resources.

The agency said revised examination dates and the schedule for re-issued admit cards would be communicated shortly through official channels.

“Further communications, including the re-conducted examination dates and the re-issued admit-card schedule, will be issued through the official channels of the Agency. Candidates and parents are requested to rely only on these official channels and to disregard unverified reports circulating on social media,” the statement said.

The controversy surrounding NEET-UG 2026 intensified after reports of a possible paper leak surfaced from Rajasthan soon after the examination was held on May 3.

The Rajasthan Special Operations Group (SOG) subsequently launched an investigation into the allegations.

According to reports, investigators recovered a handwritten suggestion paper in which nearly 120 questions allegedly matched the actual NEET question paper. The recovered material reportedly included around 90 Biology questions and nearly 30 Chemistry questions that closely resembled the original examination paper.

The allegations triggered widespread concern among students, parents and educational institutions, with many demanding a thorough investigation and cancellation of the examination to ensure fairness for all candidates.

NEET-UG is one of India’s largest and most competitive entrance examinations, conducted annually for admission to undergraduate medical courses across the country. Lakhs of students appear for the examination every year seeking admission to MBBS, BDS and other medical programmes in government and private institutions.

(The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)