NTA says it received information regarding ‘malpractices’ after the exam. ‘Guess paper’ is under probe that allegedly matched the questions in the NEET UG 2026 paper, by Rajasthan police.
NEET UG 2026 has come under scrutiny after allegations surfaced that a “guess paper” containing questions similar to the actual exam was circulated before the test. The controversy has triggered a Rajasthan Police investigation, political reactions, and renewed concerns over examination integrity, nearly two years after the NEET UG 2024 row.
NEET UG is India’s single entrance examination for undergraduate medical courses, including MBBS and BDS. This year, around 22.79 lakh students appeared for the exam held on May 3 across more than 5,400 centres in India and abroad.
What Is The ‘Guess Paper’ Allegation?
The Rajasthan Police Special Operations Group (SOG) is investigating a handwritten document described as a “guess paper” that allegedly circulated among students before the examination.
According to investigators, the document contained nearly 410 questions. SOG Additional Director General Vishal Bansal said more than 100 questions from Biology and Chemistry showed “striking similarities” with the actual NEET UG 2026 paper. Reports citing police sources claimed nearly 120 questions allegedly matched the exam.
#WATCH | Jaipur, Rajasthan: Vishal Bansal, Additional Director General (ADG) of the Rajasthan Police's Special Operations Group (SOG), says, "Regarding the various misconceptions surrounding the NEET examination, let me clarify one specific point: there is a guess paper… pic.twitter.com/SqekUuorQt
— ANI (@ANI) May 11, 2026
Sources linked to the investigation also claimed the similarities could account for nearly 600 marks out of the total 720.
Bansal stated that the document had reportedly been circulating among students “as early as 15 days to a month” before the examination. Reports citing police sources said the material may have spread through WhatsApp groups nearly 42 hours before the test.
How The Material Allegedly Spread?
Investigators suspect the document originated from a Churu-based MBBS student studying at a medical college in Kerala. The material was allegedly sent to an associate in Rajasthan’s Sikar district on May 1.
Police believe it was later distributed among students staying at a paying guest accommodation before spreading through coaching networks and WhatsApp groups. Recovered chats reportedly carried the “forwarded many times” label.
According to sources linked to the probe, the material was allegedly sold for up to ₹5 lakh two days before the exam, with the amount reportedly dropping to nearly ₹30,000 shortly before the test.
As of May 11, 13 suspects had reportedly been detained from Rajasthan and Uttarakhand.
What NTA Has Officially Said?
Neither the Rajasthan Police nor the National Testing Agency (NTA) has officially termed the incident a “paper leak”.
Bansal described the document as a “guess paper” or test-series material and said investigators were examining whether any “cheating or criminal activity” had taken place.
The National Testing Agency is aware of reports concerning the action initiated by the Rajasthan Special Operations Group in connection with alleged irregularities around NEET (UG) 2026. The following is placed on record for the information of candidates, parents, and the public.…
— National Testing Agency (@NTA_Exams) May 10, 2026
The NTA referred to the matter as “alleged malpractice activity” and “alleged irregularities”. The agency said the examination was conducted under strict security arrangements, including GPS-tracked transport of question papers, biometric verification, AI-assisted CCTV surveillance, and 5G signal jammers at centres.
The NTA stated that it received inputs regarding alleged “malpractice” on May 7 and escalated the matter to central agencies on May 8 for independent verification.
The agency also said it “will not pre-judge the inquiry, nor characterise its likely outcome”.
Rahul Gandhi’s Allegations
Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi criticised the government over the controversy, alleging that exam questions were being sold on WhatsApp “42 hours before the exam”.
In a post on X, Gandhi said the future of 22 lakh students “was openly auctioned off in the marketplace”.
NEET 2026 के पेपर लीक की खबर सुनी।
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) May 11, 2026
परीक्षा नहीं – NEET अब नीलामी है।
कई सवाल परीक्षा से 42 घंटे पहले WhatsApp पर बिक रहे थे।
22 लाख से ज़्यादा बच्चे साल भर रात-रात भर आँखें जलाकर पढ़ते रहे और एक रात में उनका भविष्य बाज़ार में सरेआम नीलाम हो गया। यह पहली बार नहीं है। 10 साल में…
He also brought to the notice that so far India had witnessed 89 paper leaks and 48 re-examinations across various competitive examinations over the last decade.
NEET papers have been tampered with in 2016, 2021, 2024 and in 2026 stated Mallikarjun Kharge, congress president. While questions have been raised on the usefulness of the Public Examinations Act 2024, by Priyanak Gandhi.
On the other hand, NEET UG 2026 answers key is out, and everything will depend on the outcome of investigations by investigative agencies.
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