Days after the cancellation of NEET-UG 2026 amid allegations of a paper leak, the Centre has announced a major change in the examination process. Union Education minister Dharmendra Pradhan said on Friday that the medical entrance exam will be conducted in computer-based test (CBT) mode from next year.
What the Centre said
According to the Hindustan times report, addressing a press conference, Pradhan said the government would take strict action against those linked to the alleged leak. He also said the decision to cancel the May 3 exam was taken to protect the interests of deserving students.
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“We will have to fix wherever the NTA is falling short, and the NTA will be held responsible,” the minister said. He added that certain issues had “come to notice” and would be investigated thoroughly.
Pradhan also said the government has “zero tolerance towards malpractices.”
Re-exam date announced
The National Testing Agency has announced that the NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination will be held on June 21 after the earlier test was cancelled over allegations of irregularities and paper leaks.
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In a statement posted on X, the NTA said, “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.”
Why the exam was cancelled
According to the reports of Hindustan Times, the agency said, findings shared by law enforcement authorities indicated that the examination process “could not be allowed to stand.”
The investigation, which began in Rajasthan and is now being handled by the CBI, has already led to multiple arrests. Reports said a “guess paper” containing questions similar to the exam paper triggered the probe.
