National Testing Agency (NTA) Director General Abhishek Singh on Tuesday confirmed that the NEET-UG 2026 examination has been cancelled following a preliminary investigation that found credible evidence of a question paper leak, triggered by a whistleblower complaint received on 7 May. The CBI has been handed the case for a full-scale probe into the origins and extent of the alleged leak.

What the Preliminary Probe Found

Addressing reporters in New Delhi, Singh said that investigators discovered some questions circulating before the examination matched the actual question paper. "During the investigation, some truth was found in the allegations," he stated, confirming that the integrity of the examination process had been compromised.

Singh noted that the preliminary inquiry was limited in scope — the NTA's mandate was only to determine whether the complaint had merit. "From the day we got the information on May 7, we only examined whether there was truth in the complaint or not," he said.

Why the Exam Was Cancelled

The NTA chief said the cancellation was driven by the need to protect honest candidates. "It was observed that the ongoing examination process was not fair to the sincere and hardworking students who had prepared with dedication. Therefore, we decided to cancel the exam and conduct it again," Singh said.

The decision underscores the scale of the alleged irregularity — if confirmed, the leak would have rendered the results unfair for hundreds of thousands of aspirants who had spent years preparing for one of India's most competitive medical entrance examinations.

CBI to Lead the Full Investigation

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has now been tasked with conducting a detailed probe. According to Singh, the agency will investigate how the alleged paper leak originated, who was involved, the size of the network, and how many states across the country may have been affected.

"The CBI will properly carry out this work and bring before everyone what happened, where it started from, who all were involved, how many people were involved, and in how many states in the country it happened," he said.

Singh also acknowledged that systemic flaws may have enabled the leak, adding: "What the system is, what flaws are there in the system, this will become clear after the inquiry. If there is any such process in the system because of which this problem happens, then it will definitely be reviewed."

Political and Public Backlash

The cancellation of NEET-UG 2026 has triggered widespread outrage among students, parents, coaching institutes, and political parties. Critics have pointed to a pattern of repeated controversies surrounding national-level competitive examinations, raising broader questions about the NTA's examination security infrastructure.

Notably, this is not the first time NEET has been mired in controversy — the 2024 edition saw significant allegations of paper leaks and grace marks manipulation, which drew Supreme Court scrutiny and calls for a complete overhaul of the examination system.

What Happens Next

The NTA has indicated the examination will be re-conducted, though a fresh date has not yet been announced. With the CBI investigation now underway, the coming weeks are likely to reveal the full scope of the alleged network — and could prompt fresh legislative or administrative measures to secure India's high-stakes examination ecosystem.