NTA announces NEET-UG 2026 re-examination on June 21 after paper leak row

NEW DELHI: The National Testing Agency (NTA) on Friday announced that the re-examination for NEET-UG 2026 will be conducted on June 21, nearly two weeks after the medical entrance examination was cancelled over alleged paper leaks.

In a post on X, the NTA said, “NEET (UG) 2026 — Examination Date Announced. The National Testing Agency, with the approval of the Government of India, has scheduled the re-examination of NEET (UG) 2026 on Sunday, 21 June 2026”. The agency also urged candidates and parents to rely only on official communication channels for updates related to the examination.

NEET (UG) 2026 — Examination Date Announced
The National Testing Agency, with the approval of the Government of India, has scheduled the re-examination of NEET (UG) 2026 on Sunday, 21 June 2026.
Candidates and parents are requested to rely only on the official channels of NTA.…

— National Testing Agency (@NTA_Exams) May 15, 2026

The announcement comes two days after Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan chaired a high-level meeting with senior officials to discuss modalities for conducting the re-examination in a “safe, transparent and credible manner.

The meeting was attended by Higher Education Secretary Vineet Joshi, School Education Secretary Sanjay Kumar, NTA Director General Abhishek Singh, CBSE Chairperson Rahul Singh and senior officials from Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan and Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti.

NEET-UG 2026, conducted on May 3, was cancelled by the NTA on May 12 following allegations of a coordinated paper leak. The exam, considered the country’s largest undergraduate medical entrance test, was held across 551 cities in India and 14 cities abroad, covering more than 5,400 centres and involving over 22 lakh candidates.

The matter is currently being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which registered an FIR under provisions related to criminal conspiracy, cheating, criminal breach of trust and destruction of evidence, along with offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Public Examination Prevention of Unfair Means Act, 2024.

Meanwhile, a Delhi court recently granted seven days’ CBI custody of five accused arrested in connection with the alleged paper leak case. The accused include Mangilal Biwal, Dinesh Biwal, Vikas Biwal, Shubham Khairnar and Yash Yadav.

According to the court, the investigation is at a “very nascent stage” and points towards a larger conspiracy involving the circulation and sale of leaked question papers to candidates for large sums of money.

The cancellation of the examination triggered protests by student organisations across several states, with opposition leaders also questioning the credibility of the examination system and demanding accountability from authorities. (ANI)