Without the Involvement of ‘Bigwigs’, a NEET Paper Leak Is Not Easy

Both have been accused of being allegedly involved in the leak of the NEET-UG 2026 question paper. Opposition parties in Rajasthan have claimed that the two brothers were working as middlemen in a large network that also includes influential leaders. Due to this controversy, the NEET exam held on 3 May has already been cancelled.

This prestigious and largest medical entrance exam was conducted at 5,432 centres across the country, with over 22 lakh students appearing. NEET-UG is the gateway for admission to 1.3 lakh medical seats in the country’s medical colleges. The National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts the exam, earns around ?1,300 crore just from application fees.

Investigators suspect the question paper was sold for ?15 lakh. Rajasthan’s Special Operations Group (SOG) is probing reports that a handwritten “guess paper” was circulated among students via WhatsApp groups.

Senior SOG officials have confirmed that more than 100 questions from Biology and Chemistry matched the actual test paper. It is alleged that this document was being shared among students 15 days before the exam.

The investigation has linked this alleged “guess paper” to an MBBS student from Churu, Rajasthan, who is currently studying in Kerala. He reportedly sent the document to his father on 1 May. The father runs a paying-guest accommodation in Sikar and allegedly sold these questions using his political contacts and to students.

 The document then spread widely through coaching networks and messaging apps.This recent incident has once again put the spotlight on Sikar’s rapidly growing coaching hub. Maheshwar Peri, founder of Careers 360, posted on X claiming that Sikar is the centre of a large network notorious for such activities.

He stated that the success rate in NEET from this region is six times higher than the national average. He alleged that students were called for a “mock test” a day before the exam and were coached specifically on these leaked questions. He also pointed out that similar allegations had surfaced in 2024 but were not taken seriously.

Educationists say there is a deep nexus between leaders, coaching centres, and the bureaucracy. One educationist, speaking on condition of anonymity, claimed that the leaked question paper had circulated widely even before the exam and had already created a stir on social media.

Isn’t it strange that the NTA still failed to detect it? NTA Director General Dr. Abhishek Singh, an IT expert who was appointed to the post just two months ago, defended the agency. He said that as soon as evidence emerged that some questions matched a PDF circulating online before 3 May, the exam was immediately cancelled.

Singh said, “Central agencies informed us that some questions matched a PDF that was already in circulation before the exam. On this basis, we decided to cancel the exam under our ‘zero-error, zero-tolerance’ policy.”Investigators are examining whether the actual NEET paper was leaked directly from the printing facility in Nashik where this year’s papers were printed. This case differs from previous leaks, which usually occurred during transportation or distribution.

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, has repeatedly targeted the government over paper leaks. He wrote on X, “In ten years, there have been 89 paper leaks and 48 re-exams. Every time the same promises are made, followed by the same deep silence.”

Rahul also expressed concern that Subodh Kumar Singh, the former NTA Director General who was removed after the major irregularities in NEET 2024, is now working as Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh.

Questions are also being raised about how the NTA, which receives no budgetary support from the central government, meets its administrative expenses from the fees collected from students. A Parliamentary Standing Committee report revealed that the NTA has earned thousands of crores in surplus income.

In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on 31 July 2024, Education Minister Sukanta Majumdar presented year-wise details of the NTA’s income and expenditure since its establishment in 2018, showing a profit of ?488 crore over the past six years.

For the more than 20 lakh students who appeared for the exam on 3 May, the cancellation is a huge shock, especially after months of preparation. The experience is even more painful for students from deprived communities, as their families made huge sacrifices for expensive coaching and tuition.

When announcing the cancellation on 12 May, the NTA stated that the exam would be conducted again. Students will not need to register afresh or pay any new examination fee. The fee already paid by students will be refunded.

Ironically, the NTA claims that the exam is conducted under “complete security protocols,” which include GPS tracking of question papers, biometric verification, AI-assisted CCTV monitoring, and 5G jammers. A Delhi student who took the exam, Nikhil Malhotra, questions, “If the security is so tight, how did the leak happen?”