Irregularities will not be tolerated, all accused will be arrested: NTA DG on NEET UG 2026 paper leak

With the National Testing Agency (NTA), responsible for conducting the NEET UG examination, under fire over paper leak allegations and calls from several quarters for its demolition, its Director General (DG) Abhishek Singh on Tuesday assured that no irregularities in the examination will be tolerated.

Addressing a press briefing in Delhi, Singh said, “I assure you that action is being taken on every such individual who is attempting to indulge in such acts. We will not let any irregularities take place in any exam.”

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Admitting the leak, Singh said that some questions in a PDF circulating among students prior to the exams matched the actual question paper.

Following this, the agency scrapped the NEET UG examination 2026 which was held across the country on May 3.

The leak reportedly originated from Churu in Rajasthan and reached the coaching hub of Sikar from where questions circulated across multiple states on WhatsApp groups.

So far, one person identified as Shubham Khairnar has been arrested from Nashik in connection with the alleged paper leak.

Singh said that the matter has been handed over to the CBI for investigation and a re-examination will be conducted in a fair and transparent manner.

“We have handed over the matter to CBI. All accused will be nabbed and jailed so that the future of students is not adversely impacted. We will conduct a re-exam for students and it will be done in a fair manner,” Singh said.

When asked if someone in the NTA could be involved in the paper leak, Singh said that the CBI will arrest whoever is involved in the leak.

“Be it someone inside or outside, whoever it is, we urge the CBI to arrest them and punish them so that this issue can be cured at the root,” he added.