NEET-UG 2026 exam leak rumours explode online; NTA calls the video fake

New Delhi: The National Testing Agency (NTA) has said that a video circulating on social media claiming that the NEET-UG 2026 question paper was leaked is fake, and has urged students and the public not to believe or share misinformation.

In a statement on X, the agency said, “NTA's attention has been drawn to a fabricated video being circulated on social media regarding NEET (UG) 2026. The video is fake and the claims it makes are false,” adding that “The video is FAKE and the claims it makes are false.”

The NTA warned that creating and spreading such content to mislead or alarm students is a “serious offence”, and said it is taking action against those responsible with the support of the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) and law enforcement agencies. It also appealed to candidates, parents and the public to rely only on official channels, stating: “Our 20 lakh-plus aspirants deserve a calm and fair process.”

The clarification comes as more than 20 lakh candidates appeared for the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination on Sunday after the original test was cancelled following earlier paper leak allegations, which had sparked widespread concern and protests.

NTA Director General Abhishek Singh said a “whole-of-government” approach enabled the large-scale exam to be conducted in a short time frame. In an official statement, the agency said more than 20 lakh candidates took the exam across 5,440 centres in India and 14 overseas locations, conducted in 13 languages including Hindi and English.

The NTA said, “This was not the NTA acting alone. It was Team Bharat - a chain of people across the country who showed up so that, for each candidate, the only thing that mattered that morning was the paper in front of them.” It also added, “In all, around 7 lakh officials - police teams, observers and examination staff - were mobilised across India to conduct this examination, and it was done in a record 37 days.”

The agency said academic experts from institutions across the country assisted in preparing multiple question papers, while extensive security arrangements were deployed, including Aadhaar-based biometric and facial authentication, CCTV surveillance, mobile signal jammers and two-layer frisking at examination centres. It also said, “Command and control centres for CCTV monitoring were established at the national level - at the NTA and at the Ministry of Education, at 34 Centrally Funded Institutions of the Department of Higher Education, in every State, and at District Collectorates.”

Officials acknowledged some isolated incidents of malpractice attempts. NTA DG Abhishek Singh said, “There were some minor reports regarding people coming with wrong admit cards, people coming with some forged admit cards at a few places; impersonation cases were also found out.” He added, “At a few places, somebody was trying to take a mobile phone; action has been taken on that…”

The Ministry of Education said Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan reviewed preparations at the NTA headquarters in Delhi’s Okhla and was briefed on the logistical and technical measures in place.

Meanwhile, the agency said special arrangements were made for candidates with disabilities and medical conditions, including over 10,000 Persons with Disabilities and around 81 candidates with serious health issues, such as accident victims and a student undergoing chemotherapy.

While investigations into earlier alleged leak-related issues continue, student groups have staged protests seeking accountability, including demands for the resignation of the education minister.

The NTA said the examination was conducted with support from CAPF and several central ministries, and reiterated that the process was carried out under strict surveillance and coordination to ensure fairness.