Fresh concerns have emerged over the integrity of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) 2026 after investigators in Rajasthan found that a handwritten question bank circulated before the examination allegedly contained around 140 questions that later appeared in the actual paper.
The National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts NEET-UG, has acknowledged that it is aware of the Rajasthan Police Special Operations Group (SOG) investigation into alleged irregularities surrounding the May 3 examination. The agency stated that it had received inputs regarding possible malpractice several days after the exam and had forwarded the information to the relevant authorities for investigation.
According to investigators, the handwritten material began circulating in Rajasthan’s Sikar district on May 1, two days before the examination. The document reportedly contained more than 300 handwritten questions across physics, chemistry, and biology. Officials claim that approximately 140 of those questions matched the final NEET paper, including similarities in the sequence of answer options in several cases. If proven, the overlap would account for nearly 600 marks out of the exam’s total 720 marks.
The Rajasthan SOG is now investigating whether the material was simply an unusually accurate “guess paper” prepared by coaching-linked networks or evidence of an actual leak before the examination. Sources involved in the probe told media outlets that copies of the material were allegedly sold to aspirants for amounts ranging from Rs 20,000 to Rs 2 lakh. By the night before the exam, digital copies were reportedly circulating for around Rs 30,000.
Investigators have traced the origin of the material to a Churu-based MBBS student studying at a medical college in Kerala, who allegedly shared it with a contact in Sikar before it spread through coaching networks, paying guest accommodations, counsellors, and student groups. Officials are also examining encrypted messaging platforms and social media channels through which the document allegedly circulated widely. Several recovered chats reportedly carried the “forwarded many times” label.
A paying guest accommodation operator in Sikar has also come under scrutiny after investigators found he had allegedly forwarded the material before later filing complaints with both police and the NTA after the examination. Officials suspect the complaint may have been filed after fears of exposure increased following the exam.
In a statement issued on May 10, the NTA said it would await the outcome of the Rajasthan SOG investigation before deciding on further action. “Whatever the agencies determine, including findings that may require further action, will be examined transparently and disclosed in keeping with established procedure,” the agency said.
The allegations have revived memories of the 2024 NEET controversy, when accusations of paper leaks and inflated marks triggered nationwide protests and Supreme Court hearings. Although the court had declined to order a nationwide re-examination at the time, it acknowledged procedural lapses and directed reforms aimed at strengthening examination security and oversight.
The latest controversy has once again raised questions around the vulnerability of high-stakes entrance examinations in India, particularly amid the growing influence of coaching networks and underground preparation markets surrounding competitive tests such as NEET.
