PM Modi Calls NEET Paper Leak A 'Grave Sin', Promises Strict Action

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the NDA Parliamentary Party meeting, vowing the strictest possible punishment for individuals involved in the NEET paper leak. Modi characterised the breach as a "ghor paap" (grave sin), saying that everyone responsible had been taken into custody.

The government moved immediately after uncovering the irregularities. Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju confirmed the administration acted swiftly to apprehend key suspects to deter future breaches.

A total of 13 accused individuals are currently in custody and have been sent to jail. Rijiju said the prompt arrests aim to protect the integrity of public examinations. Modi demanded stringent penalties for the perpetrators to ensure such incidents do not repeat. To protect candidates' prospects, officials held a second test, which concluded successfully and saw scores published on time.

Origins Of The Leak

Authorities announced the cancellation of NEET-UG 2026 on May 12 over concerns regarding the integrity of the examination. Problems began on May 6 when the National Testing Agency (NTA) released the provisional answer key. Test-takers and tutoring centres pointed out a purported 'guess paper' that bore a striking resemblance to the real questionnaire.

Rajasthan Police investigators alleged a handwritten question bank containing over 400 questions leaked prior to the exam. Police officers found that 135 of these questions matched the final test paper.

Consequently, the NTA referred initial malpractice allegations stemming from Rajasthan and Uttarakhand to central investigative agencies. The ongoing probe resulted in multiple arrests and the questioning of various suspects connected to the breach.

Re-exam And Controversy

Following the May cancellation, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan announced a NEET-UG re-examination. Authorities conducted this test on June 21. Subsequently, the NTA declared the results, with 11.21 lakh test-takers securing eligibility for undergraduate programmes in medicine, dentistry, AYUSH and related fields nationwide.

The new scores triggered another controversy. Candidates from Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh said there were inconsistencies in their marks and errors involving their optical mark recognition documents.

While students demanded investigations into their results, the NTA rejected all manipulation claims outright, stating its evaluation process was secure. The testing body cautioned candidates against relying on fabricated or artificially generated answer documents and released individual explanations to refute accusations regarding swapped answer sheets and altered scores.

Meanwhile, several petitioners approached the Supreme Court. They are asking the court to disband the testing agency and order a federal inquiry by the CBI. The top court is preparing to hear the batch of pleas shortly.