NEET-UG 2026 Re-Exam to Be Held on June 21; Government Announces Major Reforms and Computer-Based Exams from next year
New Delhi: The Central Government has announced that the NEET-UG 2026 re-exam will now be held on June 21 after the cancellation of the original exam over allegations of a paper leak. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan shared the information during a media briefing and said the government is taking strict steps to ensure fairness for students.
The original NEET-UG exam was conducted on May 3 at centres across the country. However, just a few days later, students and coaching institutes raised concerns about possible irregularities in the examination process.
Questions Raised After “Guess Papers” Matched Actual Exam
According to the government, objections started coming in on May 7 after some “guess papers” being circulated before the exam reportedly matched several questions asked in the actual paper.
Initial investigations found that many Biology and Chemistry questions were either identical or very similar to the leaked material. Officials suspect that organized groups sold these papers to students by calling them “guess papers.”
Reports suggest that some candidates paid between ₹10 lakh and ₹25 lakh to get access to these papers before the examination.
After reviewing the complaints and evidence, the National Testing Agency decided to cancel the examination on May 12.
CBI to Investigate How the Leak Happened
The case has now been handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation, which will investigate how the paper leak happened despite security measures already being in place.
During the press conference, Dharmendra Pradhan said the government does not want hardworking and deserving students to suffer because of malpractice.
“We do not want injustice to be done to deserving students,” the Minister said.
He also admitted that even though several reforms had already been introduced in recent years, loopholes still remained in the system. He mentioned that recommendations made earlier had already been implemented, but similar problems continued to occur.
Government Promises Strict Action
The Education Minister said the government follows a “zero tolerance policy” against paper leaks and exam malpractice.
He warned that strict action would be taken against everyone involved in the leak, including organized cheating networks. According to him, accountability will be fixed at every level once the investigation is completed.
Pradhan also said that exam leaks have become a larger social issue and solving the problem will require support from state governments, educational institutions and law enforcement agencies.
Nearly 24 Lakh Students Affected
The cancellation of the exam affected around 22 to 24 lakh students who appeared for NEET-UG 2026, making it one of the biggest entrance exams in the world.
The controversy led to protests in cities like Delhi and Hyderabad, where students demanded stronger reforms in the National Testing Agency system. Many students also expressed frustration over repeated paper leak incidents and the stress caused by such controversies.
Social media platforms were filled with criticism regarding the management of national-level entrance examinations.
Relief Measures Announced for Students
To help students, the government announced several relief measures after confirming the re-exam date.
Students who had already registered for the May 3 examination will not have to apply again or pay any extra fee for the June 21 exam. Officials also said that examination fees paid earlier would be refunded in many cases.
Candidates will also get another chance to choose their preferred exam cities for the re-exam.
The government might increase the examination duration to make the process smoother and reduce pressure on students at exam centres.
NEET to Become Computer-Based From Next Year
One of the biggest announcements made by the government was that NEET will be conducted in a computer-based format from the next academic session.
According to the Education Ministry, moving the exam online will help improve transparency and reduce the chances of paper leaks, impersonation and organized cheating.
Students and education experts have been demanding online NEET exams for several years, especially after repeated controversies linked to offline examinations.
Dharmendra Pradhan assured students that the government is committed to building a fair, transparent and secure examination system. He also said stronger security arrangements would be made for the June 21 re-exam. He also advised students to trust only official updates released by the National Testing Agency and the Education Ministry.
