Now Reading: CBI charges NTA experts for NEET-UG 2026 paper leak
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CBI charges NTA experts for NEET-UG 2026 paper leak
The CBI has filed a chargesheet against 13 accused, including three NTA subject experts, for allegedly leaking the NEET-UG 2026 question papers for cash in a multi-state conspiracy. The agency says it…
The Story in Brief
The CBI has filed a chargesheet against 13 accused, including three NTA subject experts, for allegedly leaking the NEET-UG 2026 question papers for cash in a multi-state conspiracy. The agency says it uncovered a supply chain linking the experts to middlemen and coaching operators who distributed the papers via messaging apps days before the exam. The chargesheet details arrests from May to July, with the first set in Rajasthan on May 13 and the alleged mastermind P V Kulkarni arrested on May 15. Forensic examination of mobile devices recovered deleted WhatsApp chats and leaked PDFs.
The National Testing Agency cancelled the May 3 NEET-UG and held a re-examination on June 21. Education minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned following protests. Separately, India rejected a US lawmaker's criticism of the FCRA Bill as an internal matter, and PM Modi advised 45 NDA MPs to avoid the 'Lutyens web' and stay calm in Parliament.
The Indian Opinion
The NTA's own subject experts allegedly turned exam guardians into gatecrashers. This is not a stray leak but a planned conspiracy where the guardians of merit became its merchants. The outrage is justified. But those demanding the NTA's abolition must also ask: would a new agency instantly fix exam security, or does the rot run deeper into patronage networks and exam-factory economics? The biometric audit of the re-exam and the trial's conviction rate will test whether India can clean its own house without a political witch hunt.
Sources (2): timesofindia.indiatimes.com, telanganatoday.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
