The National Testing Agency (NTA) told the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education that “no paper leak took place, only certain questions came out” in connection with the recent NEET-UG controversy, according to top sources.
The remarks came during a meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee, which had summoned NTA amid the controversy surrounding recent examinations, particularly NEET-UG 2026, conducted on May 3, 2026, and later cancelled by the agency following allegations that some questions circulating before the exam matched portions of the actual paper.
Along with other NTA officials, Higher Education Secretary Vineet Joshi was also present during the meeting.
According to sources, NTA informed the panel that while malpractices and irregularities were detected, these did not amount to a complete paper leak. Officials reportedly maintained that “only certain questions came out”, distinguishing the incident from an organised leak of the full question paper.
The examination was cancelled on May 12, 2026, after scrutiny over leaked PDFs, allegations of question circulation through messaging platforms, and concerns regarding the integrity of the test process.
The cancellation affected more than 22 lakh aspirants and led to demands for accountability and reforms within the examination system.
Sources said NTA told the committee that cancellation decisions were taken because the agency follows a zero-tolerance approach towards irregularities, arguing that even limited compromise of questions can undermine confidence in the examination process.
Officials reportedly reiterated that “no paper leak happened”, while accepting that instances of malpractice prompted the cancellation.
The NEET-UG 2026 re-examination will be held on June 21, 2026, the National Testing Agency (NTA) announced after cancelling the original exam conducted on May 3.
he earlier examination was scrapped on May 12 amid allegations of question leaks and irregularities, affecting more than 22 lakh aspirants across the country.
According to NTA, candidates will not need to register again or pay any additional fee for the re-exam, as existing registrations will remain valid.
Fresh admit cards are expected to be issued before the examination, and students have also been given the option to update exam city preferences.
The re-test is scheduled to take place from 2 pm to 5:15 pm on June 21, with authorities stating that additional safeguards and stricter monitoring mechanisms will be put in place following concerns over examination security.
Source: India Today