NEET Paper Leak Controversy: How many times has NEET faced paper leak allegations? Check full timeline

NEET 2026 paper leak: The National Testing Agency has cancelled the NEET 2026 exam for the students over a paper leak controversy. Every year, more than 20 lakh students compete for a limited number of seats for admission to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH, and other undergraduate medical courses.

by · Zee News

NEET 2026 paper leak: The National Testing Agency has cancelled the NEET 2026 exam for the students over a paper leak controversy. Despite NEET, being one of India's biggest medical entrance examinations, it has repeatedly faced allegations of paper leaks, cheating rackets, impersonation, and examination malpractice.

Also Read: NEET paper leak controversy explained

While not every allegation has been officially confirmed, several cases have resulted in police investigations, arrests, and even court intervention

Every year, more than 20 lakh students compete for a limited number of seats for admission to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH, and other undergraduate medical courses. 

1. The 2015 AIPMT Paper Leak Case

Before NEET became the single national medical entrance exam, medical admissions were conducted through the All India Pre-Medical Test (AIPMT), which later evolved into NEET.

In 2015, one of the biggest exam scandals shocked the country when the AIPMT paper was leaked through a sophisticated cheating racket. Investigators found that:

  • Answers were allegedly transmitted to candidates using Bluetooth devices.
  • The paper leak network operated across multiple states.
  • More than 700 candidates were suspected to have benefited.
  • Several arrests were made by police agencies. 

The Supreme Court eventually cancelled the examination and ordered a re-test for lakhs of students. This remains one of the rare instances where a nationwide medical entrance exam was reconducted due to a confirmed leak.

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2. NEET 2021: Impersonation and solving Rackets

NEET 2021 did not witness a nationwide paper leak allegation on the scale seen in 2015 or 2024, but authorities uncovered multiple cheating and impersonation cases. Police investigations in different states revealed:

  • Candidates are allegedly writing exams on behalf of others.
  • Coaching-linked solver gangs.
  • Fake admit cards and forged identity documents.

Though these were localised malpractice cases rather than confirmed nationwide paper leaks, they raised concerns about vulnerabilities in the examination system.

3. NEET 2024: The biggest modern controversy

The NEET-UG 2024 controversy became one of the largest examination scandals in recent Indian history. NEET exams were conducted on May 5, 2024, with nearly 24 lakh students appearing for it. Soon after the results were declared, allegations of paper leaks, grace marks, and rank inflation triggered nationwide protests.

Authorities later confirmed that a paper leak had indeed occurred in parts of Bihar and Jharkhand.

According to investigation reports:

  • Candidates allegedly received question papers before the exam.
  • Some centres reportedly solved the paper within 45 minutes before distribution. 
  • Over a dozen people were arrested, including students, middlemen, and alleged masterminds. 
  • The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) took over the probe.

The Supreme Court acknowledged that at least 155 students had benefited from the leak. The issue sparked massive protests across India, with students demanding cancellation of the exam and a nationwide re-test.

However, after weeks of hearings, the Supreme Court refused to cancel the entire NEET-UG 2024 examination, stating there was insufficient evidence of a “systemic breach” affecting all candidates nationwide. 

The controversy badly damaged the credibility of the National Testing Agency (NTA) and triggered calls for major exam reforms.

4. NEET 2025: Rumours but no confirmed leak

During NEET-UG 2025, social media was flooded with claims of leaked question papers circulating on Telegram and WhatsApp. However,

The NTA denied all leak allegations.

No large-scale confirmed paper leak was officially established.

Authorities claimed most circulating papers were fake or scam material intended to mislead students.

Still, distrust among aspirants remained high because of the unresolved concerns from 2024.

5. NEET 2026: Fresh leak allegations and investigations

The latest controversy emerged after NEET-UG 2026 was conducted on May 3, 2026. Reports claimed that a “guess paper” circulating before the exam contained more than 100 questions matching the actual NEET paper. According to Rajasthan Police’s Special Operations Group (SOG):

Around 120–140 questions allegedly matched the actual paper. The material had reportedly circulated nearly 42 hours before the exam. Investigators suspect a multi-state network.

Arrests have already been made in Dehradun and Rajasthan. Authorities are probing claims that leaked content could account for nearly 600 marks in the exam. 

The NTA initially denied the allegations but later acknowledged that central agencies were examining the matter. 

Reports on May 12 also claimed that NEET-UG 2026 had been cancelled and would be reconducted, though official confirmation and detailed notifications remain awaited.