Jaipur/New Delhi: In a major overhaul of India’s medical entrance examination system following the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak controversy, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan announced that the NEET examination will be conducted in an online, computer-based format from next year onward.
The announcement came after the government formally acknowledged that the question paper for the May 3 NEET-UG 2026 examination had been leaked, triggering nationwide outrage, protests from students, and a large-scale investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Addressing the media on Friday, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said the government had taken the “difficult but responsible” decision to cancel the examination to ensure that no undeserving candidate secured admission through unfair means.
“We did not want any wrong candidate to get selected. Therefore, we decided to cancel the examination with full responsibility,” the minister said.
Re-Exam on June 21
The NEET-UG 2026 re-examination will now be conducted on Sunday, June 21.
The original examination held on May 3 had witnessed participation from approximately 22.79 lakh students across 5,400 examination centres located in 551 cities in India and 14 international cities, making it one of the largest entrance examinations in the world.
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Three Major Announcements for Students
The government announced several relief measures and procedural changes for students appearing in the re-examination:
- Fresh admit cards will be issued starting June 14.
- Students will receive an additional 15 minutes during the examination.
- Candidates will be allowed to select their preferred examination city for the re-test, and a seven-day window will be provided for exercising this option.
NTA Announces Key Decisions
The National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts NEET and other national-level entrance examinations, also announced a series of major decisions following the cancellation:
- NEET-UG 2026 will be conducted again.
- Students will not be required to submit fresh applications.
- No additional examination fee will be charged.
- Previously paid fees will effectively be adjusted, making the re-exam free for candidates.
- A revised schedule for new admit cards will be released soon.
- Existing examination centre arrangements will largely remain unchanged, although students may opt for a preferred city.
Exam Duration Extended
Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan confirmed that the revised examination will now run from 2 PM to 5:15 PM, extending the duration by 15 minutes compared to the earlier schedule.
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He stated that the additional time was intended to reduce pressure on students and improve the overall examination process after widespread anxiety caused by the leak controversy.
NEET to Become Fully Computer-Based
One of the biggest reforms announced by the government is the transition of NEET-UG into a computer-based online examination from the next academic session.
Officials believe the shift to digital testing will help minimize risks related to paper transportation, printing leaks, and physical distribution vulnerabilities.
The minister also clarified that the NTA had accepted responsibility for the cancellation process after receiving information about possible irregularities on May 7. According to him, the final decision to cancel the exam was taken on May 12 after preliminary findings confirmed serious breaches.
CBI Probe Intensifies: Seven Arrested So Far
The CBI investigation into the paper leak scandal has already resulted in seven arrests across multiple states.
Five accused — Mangi Lal Binwal, Dinesh Binwal, Vikas Binwal from Rajasthan, Yash Yadav from Gurugram, and Shubham Khairnar from Nashik — were produced before Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court, which sent them to seven days’ custody.
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In separate operations, the CBI also arrested beautician Manisha Waghmare from Pune and Dhananjay Lokhande from Nashik.
Rajasthan’s Sikar Emerges as Key Link
Investigators have identified Rajasthan’s Sikar district as one of the major distribution hubs in the alleged leak network.
According to sources:
- Students were allegedly charged between ₹2 lakh and ₹5 lakh for access to the leaked paper.
- Accused Dinesh Binwal allegedly scanned the hard copy of the question paper and converted it into PDF format.
- The paper was first copied manually and later circulated through coaching networks in Sikar.
- Investigators recovered handwritten “guess papers” in which nearly 150 out of 180 questions reportedly matched the actual examination.
- More than 300 questions written in identical handwriting have reportedly been recovered during the investigation.
Timeline of Recent Developments
May 12:
NTA officially cancelled NEET-UG 2026 and handed over the investigation to the CBI.
May 13:
Raids conducted across Rajasthan, Bihar, and other states. Investigators confirmed links to Sikar coaching networks. Medical association FAIMA approached the Supreme Court.
May 14:
CBI produced five key accused before Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court.
A History of Controversies Around NEET
The NEET examination has witnessed multiple controversies since its inception:
- 2013: NEET introduced as a single national medical entrance test before being struck down by the Supreme Court.
- 2016: Supreme Court restored NEET and made it mandatory nationwide.
- 2017: Tamil Nadu student S. Anitha’s suicide triggered nationwide debate over educational inequality.
- 2019: Several fake candidate and impersonation cases surfaced.
- 2020: Conducting NEET during the COVID-19 pandemic sparked protests.
- 2022: Controversy erupted over examination centre dress code restrictions involving female candidates.
- 2024: Disputes over grace marks and allegations of irregularities emerged after 67 students secured perfect scores.
About NTA and NEET
The National Testing Agency (NTA), established in 2017 under the Ministry of Education, conducts major national-level entrance examinations including NEET-UG, JEE Main, and CUET.
NEET serves as the gateway for admission into MBBS, BDS, AYUSH, and nursing courses across government and private medical institutions in India. The country currently has over one lakh MBBS seats and more than 27,000 BDS seats.
