NEET 2026 paper leak fears resurface: ‘Guess paper’ with over 100 'matching questions' triggers probe

JAIPUR/MUMBAI: Rajasthan Police’s Special Operations Group (SOG) has launched a probe into alleged malpractices in NEET (UG) 2026 after the National Testing Agency (NTA) received inputs from Rajasthan and Uttarakhand regarding question sets circulated before the May 3 exam that allegedly overlapped with the actual paper.

Additional DGP (SOG) Vishal Bansal said investigators found a set of over 400 questions circulated days before the exam, with over 100 biology and chemistry questions showing “striking similarities” to those asked in NEET. Bansal described it as a “guess paper” or test series, but sources said a deeper nexus has not been ruled out, citing searches and questioning across several Rajasthan cities and in Dehradun.

Similar videos and copies of test-series question papers were also shared on social media from a coaching academy in Latur, Maharashtra.

Amol Tambe, superintendent of police, Latur, told TOI police they have not yet started any investigation. In a press release on Saturday, NTA said the May 3 exam was conducted under a “full security protocol” and proceeded normally across centres.

It said suspicious inputs were received late on May 7 and were escalated to central agencies the next morning for “independent verification and necessary action”.

Without referring to detentions or raids, NTA said it was “cooperating fully with investigators” and sharing exam-related data and technical inputs. “The examinationprocess itself proceeded as planned across all centres on the day,” the statement said.

NTA also said the “effort and integrity of the very large majority of bona fide aspirants is not in question, and will not be devalued”.

It said any further decision would be taken after investigating agencies submit findings to the Ministry of Education. Sources said the matter remains under verification and no formal FIR has been registered yet.

“Around 100-odd questions related to chemistry and biology appear to have matched the NEET paper,” an official said. SOG teams have conducted searches and field inquiries in multiple locations, including Sikar, Rajasthan’s coaching hub, officials said.