Inside NEET-UG 2026 paper leak trail
What's the story
The National Testing Agency (NTA) on Tuesday canceled the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET-UG) 2026. The decision was taken after allegations of a large-scale paper leak surfaced. The exam, which was conducted on May 3, will now be followed by a re-examination in light of the controversy. The NTA is expected to announce the fresh dates soon.
Leak allegations
Leak allegations surfaced in Rajasthan, Bihar
The scandal began shortly after the NEET-UG 2026 exam was held, when reports from numerous states alleged that question papers had been leaked prior to the exam. Initial allegations surfaced from Rajasthan and Bihar, where investigators reportedly began scrutinizing the suspicious circulation of exam-related material via chat platforms and private groups. Students also flagged "prediction sheets" that closely matched the actual question paper, raising concerns about the integrity of the examination process.
Probe progress
Leak traced to Churu, Rajasthan
As more details surfaced, Rajasthan Police's Special Operations Group (SOG) launched a detailed investigation. The investigation into the paper leak revealed links to Rajasthan and Kerala. It is alleged that an MBBS student from Rajasthan studying in Kerala allegedly sent a "question bank" through WhatsApp on May 1. This was received by his father in Rajasthan's Sikar, who runs a paying guest accommodation.
PG
Sikar-based PG operator shared it on WhatsApp groups
After getting the material, the Sikar-based PG operator allegedly shared it on WhatsApp groups and other social media platforms. He shared the content with students at his PG, from which it went to career counselors and other students. In a strange twist, following the exam, the same PG operator filed a complaint with both the Udyog Nagar police station and the NTA. SOG is currently looking into whether he posed as a complainant for fear of being exposed.
Trail
Trail leads to Nashik
According to India Today, the Rajasthan SOG investigation so far has discovered a complex trail that leads from Nashik, where the paper was printed, to Sikar and other regions. Investigators suspect the paper was leaked from a printing press in Nashik. A person connected with this press allegedly passed the paper through a "chain network," reaching a doctor in Gurugram. The doctor sold it to one Khatik from Jaipur's Jamwa Ramgarh, who sold it to Rakesh Kumar Mandawaria in Sikar.
Campaign and probe
Social media outrage prompts NTA to act
Mandawaria, an MBBS counseling agent in Sikar, allegedly distributed the leaked paper as a "guess paper" across India. This included coaching centers in Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Bihar, Kerala and Uttarakhand. The guess paper was sold for prices ranging from ₹30,000 to ₹28 lakh. A Nagaur student paid ₹28 lakh for it just days before the exam. When questioned, the student said he received a call from Delhi saying the "paper had arrived."
Expose
How network was exposed
The network was exposed when Mandawaria sold the question paper to the MBBS student studying in Kerala. He, in turn, sent the guess paper to his father, the PG operator in Sikar, India Today reported. The PG operator circulated it among girls at his hostel. After the exam, he checked with a coaching teacher and found that all 90 questions in Biology and 45 questions in Chemistry asked in the NEET exam matched the "guess paper" that contained 281 questions.
PG
CBI to probe leak
The PG operator claimed that he first reported to Udyog Nagar police but was dismissed. He then informed the NTA, which alerted the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and Rajasthan Police. The Rajasthan SOG launched an investigation, detaining around 15 people, including the hostel operator and Mandawaria. The Government of India has now ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the matter.