National Testing Agency (NTA) Director General Abhishek Singh spoke to HT a day after the agency canceled the National Eligibility Test for Entrance to Undergraduate Courses (NEET-UG) 2026, a decision that came after at least 120 questions in the ‘guess paper’ – a set of possible questions prepared by subject experts and teachers based on past exam trends – were found to overlap with the May 3 examination paper.
Singh, who joined NTA on April 1, said the exam was canceled after an integrity violation was discovered. He said the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) would investigate the matter and warned of strict action against those responsible. Terming the move painful in the short term to reform in the long term, he added that the agency’s contractual staff would be replaced with permanent staff within six to nine months.
Edited excerpts:
On what basis did NTA cancel NEET-UG 2026? What inputs or outcomes led to the decision?
Based on information from a whistleblower, we examined two issues: first, whether the questions on the guess sheet appeared on the actual exam sheet; Secondly, whether the PDF file of the guess paper had been circulated before May 3, the day of the test.
Even if a single question from the guess paper matches the actual paper, if this PDF file is in circulation before the test, it indicates that the integrity of the test has been compromised.
With the help of central agencies, we found that some questions match the PDF file circulated before May 3. Accordingly, we have made the decision to cancel the test in line with our “zero fault and zero tolerance” drive for testing.
What do you know about the alleged leak so far?
The exact number of matching questions and other details will become clear after the CBI investigation.
The state authorities, including the Rajasthan Special Operations Group (SOG), will coordinate with the CBI and share all inputs relevant to the investigation. I will not comment on the Rajasthan Special Operations Group’s findings at this stage; Everything will be revealed in the CBI report.
It is our responsibility to retake the test if its integrity is compromised, and to do so as quickly as possible so that students’ careers are not adversely affected.
In 2024, it was claimed that the integrity of the examination had been compromised, but the examination was not re-examined. Why was the response different this time?
I cannot comment on the controversy surrounding NEET-UG 2024.
I made it clear from the beginning to my team at NTA that I would not tolerate any error in the exam process. I have assured the Government of India that the examination is error free.
When it was revealed that the integrity of the 2026 exam was compromised, the NTA, with the approval of the Government of India, decided to cancel the NEET-UG 2026 exam conducted on May 3.
It is our collective resolve to eradicate the problem of paper leakage, no matter how difficult the decisions are. If we had not canceled the exam, the problem would have persisted.
Read also: How Churu’s ‘guess paper’ led to cancellation of NEET-UG, India’s largest entrance exam
These are difficult decisions that may cause pain in the short term, but are necessary for long-term reform. We must ensure that the careers of genuine students are not jeopardized by the actions of a few fraudsters.
Why did the NTA hand over the matter to the CBI, since the agency could not file a chargesheet against Sanjeev Mukhiya, the mastermind of the NEET 2024 leak?
There is no investigating agency in India bigger than the RBI to conduct such an investigation.
I don’t know why an indictment cannot be filed in the 2024 case, but I hope the CBI will conduct a smooth and thorough investigation this time.
A member of the Radhakrishnan Committee, which was formed after the 2024 leak, suggested that the leak may have occurred within the NTA, possibly involving contract workers handling question processing, writing or translation. What is your response?
I will not comment on speculation about whether the leak occurred inside or outside the NTA, or whether permanent or contract staff were involved.
What I can say is that no one found guilty after investigation – whether they are NTA officials or individuals outside the agency – will be spared.
The Radhakrishnan Committee recommended replacing contractual employees with permanent and accountable employees. When will NTA implement this?
We are continuously working to implement all of the committee’s recommendations.
Many of the recommendations have already been implemented, and we aim to solve the problem of contract staffing within the next six to nine months.
The contract workforce will be replaced by permanent employees during this period.
