NEET UG 2026: Once again, NEET has been embroiled in fresh allegations of paper discrepancies, leading the National Testing Agency (NTA) to cancel the NEET UG 2026 examination held on May 3, 2026. The agency has announced that the exam will be reconducted on dates to be notified separately. The decision was confirmed through an official statement on NTA’s X account on Tuesday, May 12, 2026.
In its statement, the NTA said the decision was made "with the approval of the Government of India" after reviewing inputs in coordination with central agencies and considering investigative findings provided by law enforcement authorities. The agency added that "the current examination process could not be permitted to continue."
The NTA has cancelled the NEET UG 2026 exam held on May 3 after a joint review with central authorities and inputs from law enforcement agencies. On May 8, the NTA forwarded the issue to central agencies for independent verification and necessary action, reaffirming its commitment to conducting national examinations in a fair, secure, and credible manner.
The exam will be re-conducted on dates to be announced later, with the agency citing the need to ensure transparency and maintain exam integrity.
The agency also stated that no extra examination fee will be imposed, and the fees already paid by candidates will be refunded. NTA clarified that the registration information, candidature records, and examination centres chosen during the May 2026 cycle will remain valid for the re-conducted exam. Candidates who appear again will not be required to complete a new registration process. According to NTA, the re-conducted examination will be administered using the agency’s own internal resources.
Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi had responded to the alleged NEET UG paper leak, criticising the Union government on Monday. Gandhi wrote on X that “NEET 2026 has turned into an auction, with question papers allegedly being sold on WhatsApp before the exam, while 22 lakh students worked hard throughout the year.”
He went on to say, “The faith of 2.2 million children has been broken, and no one endangers the aspirations of India’s youth more than the Modi government.”
