The National Testing Agency (NTA) has announced June 21 as the new date for the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination after the medical entrance test conducted on May 3 was cancelled following allegations of a paper leak.
The NTA said the re-examination schedule was issued after approval from the central government. The examination conducted on May 3 was cancelled on May 12 amid the paper leak controversy.
The agency clarified that candidates will not be required to submit fresh applications or pay any additional examination fee for the re-examination. Previously submitted fees will be refunded, and the earlier allotted examination centres will remain valid. The schedule for issuing new admit cards will be announced separately.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is currently probing the alleged paper leak case. The agency has so far arrested seven people and conducted raids in multiple states, including Rajasthan, Bihar and Haryana.
According to sources, the leaked question paper was allegedly circulated up to Sikar in Rajasthan. Allegations have also emerged that lakhs of rupees were collected from students in exchange for access to the question paper.
Investigators have further stated that the question paper was scanned and circulated among students in PDF format.
Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court has sent five accused persons to seven days’ custody. Several accused linked to Rajasthan and Haryana have also been arrested.
Following the paper leak allegations, protests by students and organisations have intensified in different parts of the country.
In Ahmedabad, workers of the NSUI staged a protest against Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and attempted to stop his convoy.
The Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) has filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking a court-monitored re-examination. The organisation has raised questions regarding the functioning of the NTA.
NEET-UG is conducted for admissions to MBBS, BDS and AYUSH courses in medical and dental colleges across the country. The examination is also used for admissions to major medical institutions, including All India Institute of Medical Sciences and Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research.
More than 100,000 MBBS seats and around 27,000 BDS seats are filled through the examination process in India. The cancellation of the examination and the re-examination process have affected lakhs of students and parents.
