The re-test for NEET-UG was conducted faultlessly and flawlessly, National Testing Agency (NTA) Director General Abhishek Singh said on Monday, emphasizing on the security efforts being made to ensure a smooth experience for all participating candidates without any malpractice.
After the exam ended the previous day, Singh asserted that blocking Telegram before the re-test was necessary to prevent additional pressure on candidates, claiming that such platforms “send a false perception of leakage” and “encourage scammers.”
Speaking to ANI, he said the NTA placed great emphasis on maintaining security keeping in mind the stress faced by students, stating, “This was as error-free and flawless as possible. We have taken all necessary steps to balance security with the comfort of the students… We have worked with all the agencies, all the security agencies to ensure that we are able to conduct an examination that is not only error-free, but also an examination that is error-free with zero tolerance for any malpractices.”
To combat the spread of misinformation regarding paper leaks, he said the agency has taken firm measures to restrict some platforms, considering them a source of unnecessary pressure for candidates.
“We were 100% sure that the papers were secure, everything was secure, and we had complete control over the chain of custody,” he said. “What these platforms were doing was that they were sending out a false perception of a leak, which adds to the stress and trauma of the students because we are dealing with 17-18 year old students, and if these rumors keep floating around, they keep asking ‘why has something gone wrong again, and this is not fair to young minds?’” he said.
“Subsequently, these platforms were also encouraging fraudsters to trick people with fake question papers and playing on people’s anxiety and vulnerability that they would pay small amounts to get a document that would not have anything to do with the question paper. It was required to ensure that the false perception of leakage or system failure in cybercrimes, where fraudsters dupe people out of losing money, was prevented,” he added.
The Center had ordered a temporary ban on Telegram from June 16 to 22, following an application by the NTA, which alleged that the platform was being used by organized cheating rackets to mislead and defraud candidates appearing for the NEET-UG 2026 re-exam scheduled on June 21.
He stressed that the law will deal strictly with individuals who spread misleading information and fake posts to defraud the public, and said that such violators are under surveillance. He also assured the public that the integrity of the exam remains completely intact, and there is no room for leakage.
“Anyone who tries to spread misinformation, share fake videos, share fake posts in order to defraud someone or in order to add psychological stress to people, the strong arm of the law will hit them very hard. All these cases are on our radar and we have reported them, and the perpetrators will be dealt with very strongly by the police and law enforcement agencies… There is no possibility of any leakage in this examination,” Singh said.
Describing the operation as a massive team effort, Singh said, “It was a whole-of-government approach, a whole-India approach, where all Indian government departments, state governments, district agencies, students, parents and all stakeholders came together to convey a message to all the scammers and scammers that you can’t beat the system.”
The high-stakes re-test of the National Eligibility Test for Entrance Test (NEET-UG) 2026 concluded on Sunday across the country and 14 overseas destinations, even as the process remains in the shadow of the paper leak controversy. The exam witnessed the appearance of more than 20,000 candidates at 5,440 centers under a multi-layered security network.
The National Testing Agency (NTA) said the testing was conducted smoothly across the country. The exam was conducted in 13 languages under extensive security measures, including biometric identity verification, Aadhaar-based facial recognition, CCTV surveillance, signal jammers, two-layer screening and real-time monitoring through command and control centers set up at NTA, Education Ministry, state headquarters and district universities. (that I)
