NEET 2026 paper leaked? Rajasthan SOG probe finds 'guess paper' matching over 100 questions, NTA responds

Jaipur: A controversy has erupted over NEET 2026 after an investigation by Rajasthan Police's Special Operations Group (SOG) pointed to alleged irregularities, with over 100 test questions showing similarities to the actual questions asked in the entrance exam.

The question paper series under scrutiny has been described as a “guess paper” which reportedly contained around 410 questions. Out of these, nearly 120 questions are alleged to have appeared in the Biology and Chemistry sections of the examination.

It has been reported that this guess paper had been circulating among the students well in advance, as early as 2 days prior to the actual examination held on May 3. It was reportedly sent to students' WhatsApp messages 42 hours before the NEET exam began.

In this regard, the SOG has detained 13 suspects from Dehradun, Sikar and Jhunjhunu in connection with the case. A coaching-linked career counsellor in Sikar has also been arrested, News 18 has reported. 

As per latest DNA media report, the guess paper was sold to students at rates between Rs 20,000 and Rs 2 lakh. Several other media sources also indicated a higher charge leading to Rs 5 lakh. By the night before the exam, copies were allegedly circulating for around Rs 30,000 each.  

Investigators are now trying to determine whether the document was simply an unusually accurate "guess paper" or evidence of an actual leak of the NEET question bank before the exam.

As per ANI media report, Vishal Bansal, Additional Director General (ADG) of the Rajasthan Police's Special Operations Group (SOG), says, "Our investigation is currently focused on determining whether any cheating or criminal activity has occurred based on this guess paper. We are actively examining this matter and are currently engaged in the investigative process. No, as of now, we have not made any arrests of any kind..."

According to TOI media report, the National Testing Agency (NTA) received inputs on May 7 regarding the circulation of question sets before the examination and were escalated to central agencies the next morning for independent verification and necessary action. Following this, Rajasthan Police’s SOG launched a probe into the matter.

The SOG probe has linked the suspected document to an MBBS student from Churu who is currently studying at a medical college in Kerala. He allegedly sent the material to a friend in Sikar on May 1, after which it quickly spread through PG hostels, coaching-linked groups, career counselors, and NEET aspirants.

The probe also revealed that the material was widely shared through encrypted messaging apps and social media. Some recovered chats reportedly carried the “forwarded many times" label, indicating that the questions may have reached many students before the examination.

However, officials have not ruled out the possibility of a larger racket behind the circulation of the questions. SOG teams have reportedly carried out searches and questioning across several Rajasthan cities including Sikdar which is considered the coaching hub of the state and in Dehradun.

Apart from this, similar videos and copies of test-series question papers were also shared on social media from a coaching academy in Latur, Maharashtra.  On this, Amol Tambe, superintendent of police, Latur, told TOI police they have not yet started any investigation.

NEET exam

The NEET UG 2026 exam was conducted on May 3 and was held from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM in pen-and-paper mode. Over 22.7 lakh aspirants appeared for the examination this year. It took place across 551 cities in India and 14 cities abroad, covering over 5,400 centres. It continues to be one of the largest undergraduate entrance examinations in India and serves as the gateway for admission to MBBS, BDS and other allied medical programmes across institutions in the country.

Following the massive NEET UG paper leak controversy and irregularities in 2024, NTA had introduced multiple additional security measures this year, including multi-stage biometric verification, AI-assisted CCTV surveillance, GPS tracking of question papers, 5G signal jammers at centres and central monitoring systems.

In addition, active monitoring of social media platforms were also undertaken to curb misinformation and prevent malpractice. More than 65 Telegram channels were blocked for circulating fake question papers and false rumours intended to mislead and defraud candidates. NTA had filed complaints with cyber-crime authorities and is taking strict action against those involved.

NTA response

In response to the allegations and controversy surrounding NEET UG 2026, the National Testing Agency (NTA) maintained that the examination was conducted as scheduled under a full security protocol.

"Question papers were transported in GPS-tracked vehicles bearing unique, traceable watermark identifiers. Examination halls operated under AI-assisted CCTV monitoring from a central control room, with biometric verification of every candidate and 5G jammers in operation. The examination process itself proceeded as planned across all centres on the day," the agency said in a post on X.

The agency further revealed that it received inputs regarding alleged malpractice activities on the late evening of May 7, four days after the examination was conducted. According to NTA, these inputs were immediately escalated to central agencies on the morning of May 8 for independent verification and necessary action.

Referring to recent developments reported in the media, NTA stated that the actions undertaken by law enforcement agencies, including detentions, were part of their “professional and timely work.” The agency also said it is fully cooperating with investigating authorities by sharing examination-related data and technical assistance required for the probe.

"The matter is presently under investigation and the facts will be established by the agencies in due course. NTA will not pre-judge the inquiry, nor characterise its likely outcome. Whatever the agencies determine — including findings that may require further action — will be examined transparently and disclosed in keeping with established procedure," it added. 

Assuring students and parents, the agency said,"The effort and integrity of the very large majority of bona-fide aspirants is not in question, and will not be devalued. NTA is conscious of the anxiety reports of this nature can cause, and we ask candidates to allow the agencies the space to complete their work. Any necessary steps will be taken in consultation with the Ministry of Education at the appropriate stage. NTA remains committed to fair, secure, and credible examinations and to working closely with all investigating agencies in support of the integrity of the examination system.

Reaction from medical fraternity

The issue has triggered anger and disappointment among students and parents, with many questioning the fairness of the examination process and the future of honest aspirants who prepare for years under intense pressure.

Similarly, members of the medical fraternity have strongly criticised the alleged irregularities, accusing the authorities of failing to prevent another question paper controversy despite the massive NEET UG paper leak row witnessed in 2024.

Dr Sandeep Dagar, Patron, FAIMA Doctors Association told Medical Dialogues, "NEET UG is one of the most crucial examinations for lakhs of aspiring medical students in India, and its sanctity must be upheld at all costs. Guess papers are not new. They are typically compilations of previous years questions and repeatedly asked high-yield topics, released by coaching institutes to aid last-minute revision. They are meant to guide preparation, not to predict or compromise the examination process. However, any perception that such material mirrors the actual paper too closely raises concerns and must be thoroughly investigated to maintain transparency and trust in the system."

Speaking to Medical Dialogues, Dr Mohammad Momin Khan, Ex Vice President (External Affairs) All India Medical Students' Association (AIMSA), strongly criticised the alleged irregularities and stated that "repeated paper leak controversies are damaging the trust of students in the education system."

He demanded a transparent investigation, strict punishment for those involved, and stronger safeguards to ensure fairness in national-level examinations. He said, "Now NTA has to decide whether the exam will be held again or not."

Dr Dhruv Chauhan, National Spokesperson, Indian Medical Association Junior Doctors Network (IMA-JDN) said, "I raised the NEET UG paper leak in 2024 , govt agencies back then tried to call my claims rubbish. I raised the alleged NEET PG paper leak claims on telegram but government did the same. Meanwhile, multiple arrests proved that NEET UG leak happened back then. Cancellation of NEET PG a day before that time proved the claims But it’s 2026 today, nothing changed and claims of another paper leak are being reported except now the govt will surely try to call the claims by SOG as rubbish too and like every year the “alleged paper leak file” will be closed again. When you talk about making India a “viksit Bharat” but it involves healthcare scams, exam leaks and paper delays but you continue to deny it since it will show your failure , it’s nothing but making fool of your country."

NEET 2024 controversy

The NEET UG 2024 exam was mired in controversy after a paper leak scam came to light. Initially, around 13 people, including four examinees and their family members, were arrested in Bihar for their alleged involvement in the paper leak of the NEET-UG exam. Patna police sources claimed that the NEET-UG question papers along with their answers were provided to around 20 aspirants a day before the date of the exam i.e. May 5, 2024.

Then, the Economic Offences Unit (EOU) of Bihar Police, which took over the investigation, revealed that the brokers involved in the NEET paper leak scam took between Rs 30 lakh to Rs 50 lakh from each of the medical aspirants in exchange for giving them the question paper of the NEET UG 2024 question paper ahead of the examination.

Multiple pleas had been filed before the High Courts and the Supreme Court seeking an investigation into the alleged paper leak scam. Some of the pleas demanded the scrapping of the NEET UG 2024 exam and holding a retest.

Meanwhile, during the case proceedings, NTA decided to withdraw the grace marks awarded to 1563 candidates and hold an optional retest for those candidates. Those who did not opt for the retest were allowed to retain their original marks, without the grace marks.

The matter was investigated then by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The Central Government on June 22, 2024, handed over the charge of investigating in the alleged irregularities in the NEET UG 2024 examination to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Earlier, while considering the NEET-related pleas, the Supreme Court had refused to defer the counselling/seat allotment process scheduled to commence on July 6. However, the bench had orally observed that the admissions would be subject to the final outcome of the petitions and if the exams were set aside, the counselling would get invalidated consequentially.

The Top Court had also expressed its concern over the alleged discrepancies in the NEET UG 2024 exam. The Court had noted that even '0.001& negligence' in conducting the NEET-UG 2024 exams would be looked into with all seriousness, considering the immense labor put in by the candidates for the prestigious examination.

Also read- NTA denies NEET 2026 paper leak claims on social media, calls viral video fake, assures action