NEET UG 2026 irregularities under investigation; NTA says full cooperation being extended to agencies

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has issued a statement following reports of alleged irregularities linked to the NEET UG 2026 examination, saying the matter is currently under investigation and that it is extending full cooperation to law enforcement agencies.

The statement comes amid action initiated by the Rajasthan Special Operations Group in connection with alleged irregularities around NEET UG 2026 and media reports of detentions linked to a suspected organised malpractice network.

In a post on X, NTA said the medical entrance examination held on May 3 was conducted under what it described as a comprehensive security framework across centres in India and abroad.

As per the agency, several security measures were implemented during the examination process, including biometric verification of candidates, AI assisted CCTV surveillance from a central control room, GPS tracked transportation of question papers carrying unique watermark identifiers, and deployment of 5G jammers at examination centres. In its statement posted on X, NTA said the examination “proceeded as planned across all centres on the day.”

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NTA NEET UG 2026: Investigation underway

NTA said information regarding suspected malpractice in NEET UG 2026 surfaced only days after the examination. The agency stated that it received inputs related to alleged irregularities on the late evening of May 7 and escalated the matter to central agencies on the morning of May 8 for independent verification and necessary action.

The testing agency said it is working closely with investigating authorities in a supporting role by providing all examination related data and technical assistance required for the inquiry. However, it added that it would not speculate on the outcome of the investigation or “pre judge the inquiry.”

“Whatever the agencies determine including findings that may require further action will be examined transparently and disclosed in keeping with established procedure,” the X post said.

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Addressing concerns among candidates and parents, NTA stated that “the effort and integrity of the very large majority of bona fide aspirants is not in question, and will not be devalued.” It also urged students to allow investigative agencies the space to complete their work.

The agency further said that any future steps, if required, would be taken in consultation with the Ministry of Education.

Candidates seeking clarification or support have been asked to contact the NEET UG helpline through neet-ug@nta.ac.in or the helpline numbers 011-40759000 and 011-69227700.