3 min readNew DelhiUpdated: May 15, 2026 12:04 PM IST
The Union Education Ministry on Friday announced that the cancelled National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test Undergraduate (NEET UG) 2026 will now be reconducted on June 21, days after allegations of a paper leak and the circulation of a “guess paper” triggered nationwide concern among aspirants and parents. Addressing his first press conference since the cancellation of the medical entrance exam, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said the Centre has adopted a “zero tolerance” policy against examination malpractice and asserted that no deserving candidate would lose an opportunity because of the “education mafia”.
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The National Testing Agency (NTA) had earlier cancelled the NEET UG 2026 examination conducted on May 3 after reports emerged that portions of the paper had allegedly been leaked before the exam. The agency later confirmed that it had received information regarding a “guess paper” on May 7 that reportedly contained actual questions from the test. According to the minister, within “three to four days,” authorities were able to verify that questions had indeed been compromised.
“We admit that there was a breach somewhere in the chain of command despite implementing the Radhakrishnan committee’s recommendations, and we take responsibility to fix this,” Pradhan said during the briefing. He added that the government had no option but to cancel the examination to preserve fairness and credibility in the admission process.
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Stressing that the government would not compromise with integrity in competitive examinations, the minister said, “We will not allow a moneybag to take anybody’s seat away. We are sad and worried about this unfortunate incident, but we had to take this difficult step. Our responsibility is to ensure there are zero errors.”
Pradhan also announced a major structural change in the examination process, stating that from next year onwards, NEET UG will be conducted in a computer-based format. The move is aimed at reducing the possibility of leaks and strengthening the overall security architecture of one of India’s largest entrance examinations.
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The minister said the alleged paper leak case has now been handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which will investigate how the breach occurred “despite implementing the Radhakrishnan committee’s recommendations”. He further said the government is engaged in a “long fight against exam-related mafia” and assured students that authorities would ensure there are “no malpractices this time” during the reconducted examination.
“A wrong candidate through the education mafia cannot steal the rights of another,” Pradhan said, reiterating that protecting honest aspirants remains the government’s top priority. “Our policy is of zero tolerance,” he added.
The NTA has now scheduled the NEET UG 2026 re-examination for June 21, with revised admit cards and detailed guidelines expected to be issued shortly on the agency’s official portals.