Sikar: Rajasthan’s Sikar district, long celebrated as one of India’s fastest-growing education hubs, has now found itself at the center of one of the country’s biggest examination scandals. Investigations into the cancellation of the NEET-UG 2026 examination have revealed a deep-rooted “Sikar connection,” with authorities tracing the origins of the alleged paper leak racket to an organized network operating from the coaching belt of the district.
What makes the case even more extraordinary is that the alleged scam was not first uncovered by a government agency, but by the vigilance and integrity of a local physics teacher whose actions ultimately triggered a nationwide investigation.
The WhatsApp Message That Triggered the Investigation
According to sources linked to the investigation, the controversy began when a student forwarded a “guess paper” to his physics teacher on WhatsApp shortly before the examination. As the teacher carefully reviewed the questions, he was shocked to discover that the content closely matched the actual NEET examination paper.
Sensing a serious breach, the teacher initially approached the local police station and attempted to report the matter. However, officials allegedly failed to treat the complaint with urgency.
Refusing to let the matter go unnoticed, the teacher directly uploaded all available documents, screenshots, and supporting evidence onto the official portal of the National Testing Agency (NTA). That single step reportedly set off alarm bells from New Delhi to the Rajasthan Director General of Police (DGP) headquarters, ultimately leading to the involvement of the Rajasthan Special Operations Group (SOG).
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Rakesh Mandawariya: From Medical Aspirant to Alleged Paper Mafia Kingpin
The SOG investigation has identified Rakesh Mandawariya as one of the central figures behind the alleged paper leak network.
Mandawariya, who operated “RK Consultancy Educational” on Sikar’s Piprali Road, had once arrived in the city with dreams of becoming a doctor himself. Investigators revealed that he had started his education in Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya in 2001 and later became involved in educational consultancy work after failing to secure success in competitive medical examinations.
Authorities allege that under the cover of overseas admission consultancy and student guidance, Mandawariya gradually became linked to organized “paper solver” and exam manipulation networks operating across multiple states.
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Secret Operation Leads to Arrest in Dehradun
In a highly confidential operation, SOG teams tracked and arrested Mandawariya from Dehradun. Officials believe the network extended far beyond Rajasthan, with fresh evidence indicating links to Nashik in Maharashtra as well.
Sources claim that under directions from Rajasthan DGP Rajeev Kumar Sharma, suspected individuals were quietly detained and interrogated beginning the night of May 8 in an effort to prevent the alleged masterminds from escaping before the investigation became public.
100% Match in Biology and Chemistry Questions
One of the most alarming findings in the SOG probe is the reported 100 percent similarity between questions circulated in the alleged “guess paper” and the actual Biology and Chemistry sections of the NEET examination.
Investigators believe this level of accuracy strongly indicates that the accused had direct or indirect access to highly confidential stages of the examination process, including printing facilities or distribution channels. Officials now suspect that students were not being trained through predictions or coaching shortcuts, but were allegedly being provided access to leaked examination material before the test itself.
Blow to Sikar’s Coaching Reputation
The scandal has dealt a severe reputational blow to Sikar, which has emerged in recent years as a major coaching destination attracting thousands of students from across India.
Piprali Road, lined with coaching institutes, hostels, and educational consultancies, symbolizes the aspirations of countless middle-class families seeking medical and engineering careers for their children. Investigators now believe that amid genuine educational institutions, certain operators allegedly exploited students by promoting illegal shortcuts and examination fraud.
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Agencies are currently probing whether influential individuals, financiers, or “white-collar” facilitators were also associated with the network. Further arrests and revelations are expected as the investigation progresses.
