NTA tells Parliament NEET-UG 2026 questions leaked but no full internal breach

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has informed a parliamentary committee that the cancellation of the NEET-UG 2026 examination was prompted by the circulation of some questions before the test, but it maintains there was no complete paper leak from its internal systems. The agency’s officials defended their security protocols while acknowledging that malpractice had compromised the integrity of the high-stakes medical entrance exam.

NTA Director General Abhishek Singh and Higher Education Secretary Vineet Joshi appeared before Parliament’s Standing Committee on Education to explain the controversy. They stated that while certain questions had appeared outside the exam environment, the incident did not constitute a full breach of the question paper. Officials emphasized that the agency operates on a zero-tolerance policy, and any compromise of questions warranted the exam's cancellation to preserve public confidence.

The examination, originally conducted on May 3 across 5,432 centers in 565 cities and 14 international locations, was canceled on May 12. Officials said the first indications of irregularities surfaced on May 7, leading to a swift escalation to investigative...