The National Testing Agency (NTA) has denied that the NEET-UG 2026 question paper was leaked through its system, with Director General Abhishek Singh informing a parliamentary panel on Thursday that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is currently investigating the matter.
Parliamentary Panel Grills NTA Officials
During a meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports, several Members of Parliament (MPs) questioned top NTA officials about the alleged paper leak. The panel had summoned senior education ministry officials, including Education Secretary Vineet Joshi, NTA Chairperson Pradeep Kumar Joshi, and DG Abhishek Singh. The NTA officials reportedly delivered a detailed presentation on the recommendations of the Radhakrishnan Committee report, which focused on reforms within the examination agency.
MPs Question Prevention Measures
According to sources, MPs pressed the NTA on steps being taken to strengthen the examination system and prevent future leaks. When asked how the NEET paper could have been leaked if not through the NTA system, and why the exam had to be cancelled and re-conducted, Singh did not provide a direct answer. Instead, he reiterated that the matter is under CBI investigation.
The report indicated that some opposition MPs demanded that the CBI probe report be presented to the committee. However, BJP MPs objected, arguing that the investigating agency should be allowed to function independently without interference.
Implementation of Radhakrishnan Committee Recommendations
The NTA informed the panel that approximately 70 percent of the short-term measures recommended in the Radhakrishnan Report have already been implemented. Officials also mentioned that the agency is considering conducting NEET through a computer-based testing (CBT) platform in the future to enhance security.
Staff Shortages Addressed
Committee members raised concerns about staff shortages within the NTA. According to sources, the agency acknowledged that it currently faces a shortage of around 25 percent of its sanctioned staff strength. Efforts are underway to fill these vacancies systematically.
Committee Chairperson's Remarks
After the meeting, panel chairperson and Congress MP Digvijaya Singh declined to disclose details of the deliberations, citing the confidentiality of parliamentary committee proceedings. However, he later stated that the meeting "went off very well" and that members expressed their concerns regarding the NEET paper leak.
Measures to Curb Malpractices
The NTA also briefed the committee on various measures being taken to curb examination malpractices. These include detailed standard operating procedures (SOPs) for breach management, coordination with state administrations, and monitoring of social media platforms for suspicious activity.
Details of NEET-UG 2026
The NTA informed the panel that NEET-UG 2026 was conducted on May 3 at 5,432 centres across 565 cities, including 14 international cities. Over 22.7 lakh candidates had registered for the examination, while more than 22.05 lakh actually appeared.
According to the NTA, it received inputs regarding alleged malpractice on May 7, four days after the examination, and escalated the matter to central agencies on May 8. Following investigative findings shared by law enforcement agencies, the decision was taken to cancel NEET-UG 2026 and conduct a re-test on June 21.
