NEET 2026 paper leak row: IMA welcomes cancellation, seeks CBSE led exam

New Delhi: Amid the NEET 2026 controversy, the Indian Medical Association National President recently urged the Central Government to conduct a thorough investigation into the alleged paper leak row and take strict action against all those found guilty. He also called for stronger safeguards to ensure that such incidents do not recur in future national-level medical entrance examinations.

Further, welcoming the Government of India’s decision to cancel the NEET UG 2026 examination held on May 3 amid allegations of irregularities, Dr Nayak said the repeated controversies surrounding the exam have raised serious concerns over the credibility and security of the examination process. He further suggested that the NEET UG examination should be conducted through the Central Board of Secondary Education instead of the National Testing Agency (NTA).

Medical Dialogues recently reported that NTA declared that NEET 2026, conducted on May 3, 2026, has been cancelled and will be re-conducted on dates that will be notified separately.

This came in the backdrop of the probe by the Rajasthan Police Special Operations Group, which reportedly found a “guess paper” containing more than 100 questions similar to those asked in the NEET UG examination. 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.

Now, the Indian Medical Association National President Dr Anil Kumar J Nayak on Tuesday urged the Central government to conduct a thorough probe and take strict action against the guilty in the alleged leak of the NEET UG 2026 question paper.

The IMA President welcomed the Centre's decision to cancel the examination conducted on May 3 over reports of irregularities and called for "strict guidelines" to be established to ensure the instance does not recur. He further asked the Centre to conduct the NEET UG examination through CBSE.

"I welcome the decision of the NTA and Government of India to cancel this examination. Last time, the government had established strict regulations for this examination; however, this incident has now occurred for the second time. Therefore, I urge the government to conduct a thorough investigation into this matter and take necessary action against all those found guilty. Consequently, I request the government to please arrange for the NEET UG examination to be conducted through the CBSE," he said, quotes ANI.

Earlier, the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) also demanded accountability for the alleged paper leak for NEET-UG 2026 after the Centre announced to re-conduct the entrance examination.

The FAIMA expressed support towards NEET aspirants, saying it will "not stay silent while guess papers and mafias decide who becomes a doctor."

"Our hearts go out to the lakhs of students who put their lives on hold for NEETUG 2026, only to be met with systemic negligence. FAIMA demanding immediate accountability for this paper leak. We will not stay silent while 'guess papers' & mafias decide who becomes a doctor. Exemplary punishment is the only way forward. We stand with you," FAIMA posted on X.

Amid allegations of a paper leak and examination irregularities, the Centre on Tuesday cancelled the NEET-UG 2026 examination conducted on May 3 and announced that the country's biggest undergraduate medical entrance test will be re-conducted on dates to be notified separately.

The Government has also referred the matter to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for a comprehensive probe into the allegations.

In a statement, the National Testing Agency (NTA) said the decision was taken after inputs were examined in coordination with central agencies, and findings shared by law enforcement agencies raised concerns over the integrity of the examination process.

The agency clarified that the registration data, candidature details and examination centres chosen by candidates for the May 2026 cycle would remain valid for the re-test. No fresh registration will be required, and no additional fee will be charged.

NEET-UG, the single entrance examination for admission to MBBS, BDS and other undergraduate medical courses across India, was conducted on May 3 in pen-and-paper mode across over 5,400 centres in 551 cities in India and 14 cities abroad. Around 22.79 lakh students appeared for the examination.