Latest development
Re-exam results declared July 16: about 110,000 candidates qualified (58% women), though over 270,000 registered candidates skipped the re-test. MCC counselling for qualified candidates is now underway.
Background
A leaked question paper forced India's testing agency to cancel the NEET-UG medical entrance exam for 2.27 million students in May 2026, triggering weeks of nationwide protests, a criminal investigation, and the resignation of the Union Education Minister. This page tracks the story as it develops.
What happened to the exam
NEET-UG 2026 was held on May 3 for more than 2.27 million candidates seeking undergraduate medical and dental seats. Within days, a "guess paper" began circulating on WhatsApp through coaching centres, particularly around Sikar, Rajasthan. Investigators later found that roughly 120 of the exam's 180 questions overlapped with that circulated material, concentrated in the Chemistry and Biology sections.
On May 12, the National Testing Agency (NTA) cancelled the exam outright, saying the step was necessary to protect the credibility of the national examination system.
The investigation
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) took over the case the same day the exam was cancelled. Several arrests followed in the weeks after, including a chemistry professor with access to NTA's translation process, a coaching institute owner, a school headmistress, and a physics teacher. Investigators described a network spanning multiple states, with some students allegedly paying between ₹2 lakh and ₹10 lakh for leaked material.
From campus anger to Jantar Mantar
Demonstrations began at Delhi's Jantar Mantar on June 6, organised initially by the youth movement Cockroach Janta Party alongside left-leaning student organisations. The protests widened into a broader movement over examination accountability after environmental activist Sonam Wangchuk joined on June 28 and began a hunger strike, demanding an independent judicial inquiry into the NTA. Delhi Police removed him to a hospital after 21 days, on July 18.
On July 20, a "Sansad Chalo" march toward Parliament drew more than 10,000 students; police used tear gas and water cannons, and dozens were injured. Five days later, on July 25, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned under the sustained pressure.
The re-exam and its toll
A re-exam was held on June 21 under heightened security, including Indian Air Force transport for question papers. Results were declared on July 16: about 110,000 candidates qualified, 58% of them women, though overall attendance fell to 87.72% as more than 270,000 registered candidates skipped the re-test entirely. Fact-checkers have separately had to debunk viral claims about a second "leak" of the re-exam paper on Telegram — no evidence supported that claim.
The human cost of the crisis has been severe: at least 12 students are reported to have died by suicide in the aftermath of the original cancellation.
Where things stand now
The active street protests at Jantar Mantar wound down by late July, but the story is not over. The CBI investigation continues, counselling for the qualified candidates is now underway through the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) process, and questions about the NTA's accountability and future exam security remain unresolved. This page will be updated as the counselling process, the investigation, and any policy changes progress.