The National Testing Agency’s (NTA) decision to cancel the NEET-UG 2026 examination held on May 3 has drawn growing criticism from aspirants and the opposition, which has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of being “negligent” towards the future of students.
The medical entrance examination was canceled after “guess papers” corresponding to more than 100 chemistry and biology questions were allegedly sent out and sold for huge sums. The entrance exam will be conducted again and exam dates will be announced separately, NTA said.
Do students have to re-register?
The NTA said the registration details, candidature information and exam center preference submitted for the May 2026 session will remain valid for re-examination. Students will not be required to re-register and no additional examination fees will be charged. The agency also said that fees already paid will be refunded while the review is carried out using the NTA’s internal resources.
Here’s what we know so far about the NEET ‘leakage’ case
1. The government has asked the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the paper ‘leak’ case.
2. The Nashik City Crime Branch has arrested a youth named Shubham Khairnar from Indira Nagar in connection with the case. He will soon be handed over to the Rajasthan Police, who will further transfer him to the CBI, Hindustan Times reported.
3. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan refused to address media queries on the NEET row. Pradhan declined to comment when reporters asked for his reaction to the controversy.
4. Several opposition leaders approached X to question the functioning of the National Testing Agency (NTA) and claim responsibility for repeated controversies surrounding the entrance exams.
5. Congress president Rahul Gandhi said that the hard work, sacrifices and dreams of more than 22 thousand students have been “crushed by this corrupt BJP regime”. In a post in Hindi on X, Gandhi said, “NEET 2026 has been cancelled. The hard work, sacrifices and dreams of more than 22 million students have been crushed by this corrupt BJP regime. Some fathers have taken loans, some mothers have sold their jewellery, millions of children have stayed up all night studying, and in return they have missed out on education papers, neglect and corruption.”
“This is not just a failure – it is a crime against the future of the youth,” said the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha.
6 The exam was held in 551 cities in India and 14 international cities in more than 5,432 centers with nearly 22.79 lakh candidates registering for the test. The paper consisted of 180 questions with a total of 720 points.
7. The provisional answer key was released on 7th May 2026.
