NTA and Paper Leaks: How often has the agency been under scrutiny?

The National Testing Agency (NTA) cancelled NEET UG 2026 after reviewing investigation reports and inputs shared by central agencies and law enforcement authorities. The agency said issues were found in the examination process that could impact fairness and transparency. It stated that the exam process “could not be allowed to stand” based on the findings of the probe. The matter has now been referred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for a detailed inquiry into the paper leak allegations. NEET UG 2026 Live updates.

The Director General of NTA, Abhishek Singh, termed NEET UG 2026 a “violation” after the exam was cancelled over alleged paper leak concerns. He said the agency received whistleblower input on May 7 regarding question papers circulating on WhatsApp that reportedly matched the actual exam. On verification, some questions in the original paper were found to resemble those in the leaked PDFs.

“NTA kept posting on X and WhatsApp channels, saying the exam would be conducted smoothly and asking students not to panic, but later ended up becoming a major reason for panic. I was tension-free for two weeks, and now I have to start revising again,” NEET aspirant Divya told Careers360.

Also read Same Exam, Old Nightmare: NEET 2026 cancelled, paper-leak probe, NTA reform, re-neet – the story so far

Although NTA said the decision was taken in the interest of students and to ensure a fair and secure re-exam process, aspirants have flooded social media with posts expressing anger, anxiety, and uncertainty. Many have commented that the system has entered a “joke era,” with NTA facing strong criticism.

This is not a sudden reaction but part of growing dissatisfaction that has affected NTA’s image over the years. This is not the first time NTA has been accused of a paper leak; previously, it also cancelled the UGC NET exam in 2024 due to similar allegations. Here’s a look at times when NTA faced backlash over paper leak allegations.

Also read NEET was far from fair even before paper-leak controversies

NEET 2025

In 2025, there were social media rumours and allegations about a possible paper leak. Some claims suggested malpractice in a few centres, but no nationwide leak was officially proven. The NTA and authorities denied major irregularities, and no court or investigation confirmed the paper leak.

Also read 'Three Attempts, Two Leaks': NEET aspirants open up on repeated uncertainty

RE-NEET in 2024

Soon after NEET UG 2024, social media posts and reports claimed a paper leak, especially linked to an incident in Rajasthan. Reports of irregularities from centres in Rajasthan, Bihar, and Gujarat triggered nationwide concern, leading to arrests and demands for a re-exam. NTA denied a confirmed large-scale leak, but acknowledged cases of unfair means. The Supreme Court heard multiple petitions, and cancelled results of 1,563 candidates with grace marks. SC even ordered a re-test for some students.

UGC NET 2024 cancelled

UGC NET June 2024 exam was cancelled after concerns were raised about the integrity of the test. NTA conducted exam on June 18 in pen-and-paper mode. On June 19, the UGC received inputs from the National Cyber Crime unit suggesting possible compromise of the exam’s integrity. Following this, the Ministry of Education decided to cancel the exam to maintain transparency. Later, NTA said that allegations of paper leak were not found to be true, but continued with the decision to conduct re-exam.