NEET to go fully computer-based from next year after paper leak controversy

Days after the cancellation of NEET-UG 2026 over paper leak allegations, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Friday announced that the medical entrance exam will shift to a computer-based format from next year.

Addressing a press conference, Pradhan promised strict action against those responsible for the leak and defended the government’s decision to cancel this month’s examination, saying it was taken to protect meritorious students.

“We will have to fix wherever the NTA is falling short, and the NTA will be held responsible,” he said, adding that certain irregularities had “come to notice” and would be investigated thoroughly.

The National Testing Agency also announced that the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination will be held on June 21. The agency had cancelled the May 3 exam earlier this week after receiving inputs from law enforcement agencies indicating the examination process had been compromised.

NEET-UG is India’s nationwide entrance examination for undergraduate medical admissions.

In a post on X, the NTA said the re-test would be conducted with the approval of the Government of India and urged candidates and parents to rely only on official communication channels.

The cancellation followed reports of alleged irregularities first investigated by Rajasthan’s Special Operations Group before the probe was transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation.

The investigation into the paper leak has already resulted in multiple arrests, with the CBI continuing to probe the wider conspiracy behind the breach.