The Central Bureau of Investigation arrested retired teacher P. V. Kulkarni in the alleged NEET UG 2026 paper leak case.
Investigators claim Kulkarni ran special coaching sessions where leaked questions and answers were dictated to students.
The government has since announced major NEET reforms, including a shift to computer-based testing from next year.
Who Is 'Kingpin' PV Kulkarni? Retired Teacher Arrested in NEET 2026 Leak Case
Investigators allege retired teacher conducted secret coaching sessions using leaked material
Summary
The alleged kingpin behind the NEET UG 2026 paper leak scandal, PV Kulkarni, was arrested by the CBI yesterday. Th retired Pune-based chemistry teacher leaked the paper through secret special classes.
The NEET UG exam was cancelled by the NTA after reports of alleged irregularities and paper leak. This prompted central agencies to launch intensive investigations in the matter to uncover the alleged scandal.
Yesterday, education minister Dharmendra Pradhan described the Optical Mark Recognition sheets as the key vulnerability in the examination process. He further announced that from the next year onwards the test will take place in the Computer Based Test (CBT) mode. The NEET re-exam is scheduled to take place on June 21.
Who is PV Kulkarni?
PV Kulkarni is a retired chemistry teacher who originally belongs to the Latur district of Maharashtra. He currently resides in Pune from where he was arrested yesterday.
Kulkarni allegedly organised special coaching classes in which he dictated questions to his students along with their correct answers. The gathered students wrote them down in their notebooks. The students reportedly paid lakhs of rupees to take part in these classes.
CBI investigators confirmed that these handwritten notes from students significantly matched the original question paper.
The CBI also revealed that Kulkarni was associated with the NTA which likely gave him access to the question papers. The extent of his association with the NTA and his involvement in the NEET exam process has not been confirmed.
What Changes Have Been Made to NEET Exams
Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Friday announced a flurry of changes in a bid to improve the credibility of the examination.
Major changes include a shift to CBT mode, conducting the exam in multiple phases as well as increased examination time to facilitate completion of formalities.
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The cancellation of the NEET UG 2026 examination was the first full cancellation of the medical entrance exam in its history. Combined with the 2024 NEET scandal, stakeholder confidence in the examination process and the NTA is at an all-time low.
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