The pdf of statement is available in link below

English

22 May 2026

AIPSN Statement on

NEET 2026 “Paper Loot” Inflicting Injustice and Suffering on Students 

We are witnessing a devastating farce being played out on our youth, as they persevere to work towards entrance into higher education programmes. Recently the NEET entrance examinations have been cancelled under a dark cloud of complaints of extensive ‘paper leaks’. The ongoing CBI investigations have revealed a sinister scenario of an organised network which sells question papers under the garb of coaching, “guess papers” and “mock tests”. With surprising audacity, the Director of the National Testing Agency (NTA) continues to deny any ‘paper leak’; we might tend to agree, it’s certainly not an accidental leak, it’s a carefully organised paper loot propped by huge money. In view of the federal nature of education and the diverse nature of our country, State Governments must have a say in the admission process and allotment to students. AIPSN calls for the dismantling of the National Testing Agency and NEET

In 2024 and again in 2026, reports emerged of paper leaks in the NEET UG Examination (medical undergraduate admissions), pushing the future of 22.79 lakh students into greater uncertainty and anxiety. Investigations have revealed organised multi-state networks operating across Maharashtra, Haryana, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Kashmir, involving paper setters, coaching centres, courier services, ‘solver gangs’ and others. The NEET cancellation case is one among a long series of examinations that have witnessed malpractices and paper leaks, such as sSSC CGL examination (2017-18), which exposed the vulnerability of computer-based examinations; CBSE (2018), where Class 10 Mathematics and Economics papers were leaked before examinations; Railway Recruitment Examinations (2009, 2013, 2014, 2024, 2025); UGC-NET examination cancellation (2024).

Since its establishment in 2017, the National Testing Agency (NTA) has proved incapable of maintaining the integrity and sanctity of important examinations such as NEET UG and UGC-NET. These recurring scams indicate the emergence of an organised network involving paper setters, corrupt officials, coaching centres, printing presses, cyber networks that often operate with impunity and political patronage. The consequences of such corrupt practices are severe, including loss of trust in public institutions, false promises leading to severe indebtedness of families, mental stress and growing frustration among students, weakening of recruitment credibility, the entry of corrupt persons with false credentials into sensitive professions like medicine and teaching, which indeed poses a potential danger to people’s lives.

In 2024 many malpractices had become apparent; apparent more than 1500 examinees were allotted grace marks, while 67 candidates secured the first rank with full marks. In 2026, NTA has failed miserably and the ongoing CBI investigations unravel large scale malpractices in the NEET UG entrance examination, which may be the tip of the iceberg. Reports suggest that leaked papers were sold with impunity for amounts ranging from rupees 15 to 30 lakh or even more, and even ‘bookings’ for the “guess paper” were made several months in advance.. .There are questions about no implementation and no fear of the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act enacted in 2024.

The NTA conducts major examinations such as NEET UG, JEE Main, UGC-NET, CUET-UG & CUET-PG, CMAT, GPAT, NCET and SWAYAM. and has become a matter of serious concern for the country. Collectively, the NTA is entrusted with the future of over 80 lakh candidates every year (approximately 24 lakh for NEET-UG, 12-14 lakh for JEE Main, over 30 lakh for CUET, several more lakhs for UGC-NET and others). Such a huge responsibility has been assigned to an agency that is not a public statutory body established by an Act of Parliament, but a society registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860). Even while it generates huge funds through admission fees, it is not accountable to the Parliament or the CAG audits. Moreover, NTA is not academically equipped for the major tasks it undertakes and its repeated failures are seriously impacting our youth and large segments of society. In fact, a major portion of NTA’s operational work depends on outsourced agencies, contractual personnel, deputed officers, temporary examination staff and technology partners.

AIPSN Concerns and Views 

AIPSN would like to recall that the Medical Council of India announced the introduction of NEET UG in 2010, replacing the then AIPMT (All India Pre Medical Test) and various state-level examinations, for implementation from 2012 onwards. Following this announcement, several states, including Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, strongly opposed the proposed transformation, citing huge variations between the syllabus proposed by the MCI and their respective state syllabi, the impracticality of conducting a centralised entrance examination in a multicultural society like India. Consequently, the CBSE and MCI deferred NEET by a year.

Further, on 18 July 2013, the Supreme Court of India quashed the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) for admissions into all medical and dental colleges (in the case of Medical Council of India vs. Christian Medical College). The apex court ruled that the Medical Council of India could not conduct a unified examination. However, the judgment was later recalled by a five-judge Constitution Bench on 11 April 2016, and NEET was restored. Tthe Supreme Court of India should come forward to order a judicial enquiry over the repeated incidences of paper leaks and the corrupt nexus involved. Meanwhile, medical admissions this year should be on school marks instead of imposing the burden of a repeat NEET examination.

Earlier, NEET was conducted by the CBSE and is now conducted by NTA in accordance with the National Education Policy, 2020. However, the NTA is neither a fully governmental institution nor an academic body competent to conduct such crucial entrance examinations, which serve as gateways to higher education in medical sciences. Furthermore, the NTA lacks the necessary infrastructure and capability to conduct examinations on such a massive scale. Owing to the very nature of NTA, many had predicted that it would fail and lead to severe scams. This prediction came true in 2024 with the large-scale NEET UG and UGC-NET controversies and the same has been repeated on an even larger scale in 2026.

Several newspaper investigations and probe reports have alleged the involvement of coaching centres, “guess paper” rackets, organised examination networks including examination insiders and persons associated with NTA in repeated NEET paper leak controversies. Rajasthan investigators reportedly recovered a handwritten “guess paper” containing around 150 questions matching the actual NEET examination paper (equivalent to 600 marks out of 720), raising suspicious of a leak network linked to coaching hubs (The Times of India, 12 May, 2026 & India Today, 11 May, 2026). Reports further alleged that leaked NEET material circulated through coaching centres, counsellors, hostel operators, WhatsApp groups in Rajasthan’s coaching hub, Sikar, before the examination (Hindustan Times, 14 May, 2026). Media reports and social media discussions have also questioned the political links of some accused persons

Playing with the future of deserving students must stop right now. Conducting such highly competitive entrance examinations, subsequently cancelling them due to reported paper leaks and corruption, and then conducting re-examinations for nearly 23-24 lakh students is extremely burdensome not only for students but also for the nation’s resources.

Therefore, All India People’s Science Network (AIPSN) strongly demands :

• Scraping of the NEET and also the NTA and the handing over of NTA responsibilities to competent public institutions and academics;
• End the outsourcing of examinations; 
• Admission through State Level Tests and due weightage to students’ school examination marks; Admission to be decided by the States.
• No single stage test based on multiple choice questions (MCQ) to decide the abilities and aptitude of students. The multiple stage testing process must identify and select students who will serve communities, not become self-serving mercenaries
• State governments to organise special courses to help deserving students to take entrance tests, not place them into private coaching classes
• Ban on private coaching centres for examinations
• Prosecute and punish through fast-track judicial proceedings all those involved in the selling of “guess papers” based on the question paper ; 
• Resignation of the Union Education Minister

Asha Mishra Satyajit Rath

General Secretary, AIPSN President, AIPSN

Contact

Prof. P. Rajamanickam +919442915101

Convenor Higher Education Desk AIPSN

Dr. Salim Shah +91 94365 82375

Member, Higher Education D

esk AIPSN

Prof. Anita Rampal, anita.rampal@gmail.com

AIPSN