Paper Leak Row: The ongoing NEET controversy has once again put exam security and administrative oversight under scrutiny, after the national medical entrance test was cancelled on May 12 amid allegations of a leak and irregularities affecting more than 22 lakh candidates. From there, India’s examination system has come under strain, with a series of major tests postponed or cancelled in recent years after allegations of paper leaks, cheating and procedural lapses. From national entrance tests to state recruitment exams, the disruptions have affected lakhs of candidates and triggered investigations, legal challenges and renewed scrutiny of exam security.
Maharashtra TET Exam Postponement, Paper Leak
The Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) 2026 in Maharashtra was postponed on June 27, a day before it was to be held, after police in Thane district found that a part of its question paper had been leaked and arrested three people.
According to a report by the Press Trust of India, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis ordered the constitution of a Special Investigation Team headed by Thane Joint Commissioner of Police Panjabrao Ugale to probe the paper leak.
Fadnavis spoke to School Education Minister Dada Bhuse and state Director General of Police Sadanand Date and asked them to take strict action against the culprits, the report stated, citing sources.
NEET UG 2026 Exam
On May 12, the National Testing Agency (NTA) announced the cancellation of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate) 2026 held on May 3, 2026. The decision was taken on the basis of the inputs examined by the NTA in coordination with the central agencies, and the investigative findings shared by the law enforcement agencies, the testing agency had stated.
A re-exam was conducted on June 21, with the announcement of the NEET results on July 16.
UKSSSC Graduate-Level Recruitment Exam Cancelled
Last year, on October 11, the Uttarakhand Subordinate Services Selection Commission (UKSSSC) cancelled a graduate-level recruitment examination, the question paper of which was allegedly leaked, according to officials. The written exam was conducted on September 21, 2025, across the state, as per the official record.
As per the official announcement, after the completion of the examination on the scheduled date, at around 1:30 pm, screenshots of some questions went viral on social media. The commission decided that, in order to maintain the purity, confidentiality, transparency, and credibility of the exam, it would be appropriate to cancel the graduate level exam, the official document stated.
HPSC Assistant Professor Hindi Exam
Last year, in June, the Haryana Service Public Commission (HPSC) cancelled the HPSC Assistant Professor Written exam for the Hindi subject, scheduled for June 2025 and affecting thousands of candidates.
ECR Exam In Mughalsarai
In March 2025, a major paper leak scam involving the East Central Railway (ECR) Departmental Exam in Mughalsarai, Uttar Pradesh, was busted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), as per reports.
NEET 2024 Exam
In 2024, the NEET UG was hit by major paper leak allegations that triggered nationwide protests, court hearings and a CBI probe. The NEET UG 2024 examination was conducted on May 5 for over 23 lakh medical aspirants across India. Soon after the exam, allegations surfaced claiming that the question paper had been leaked before the examination, particularly in Bihar.
The controversy intensified after the declaration of NEET results on June 4, 2024. A total of 67 candidates secured a perfect score of 720 out of 720, while some students were awarded unusual marks such as 718 and 719, raising questions among students, parents and coaching institutes.
The NTA later clarified that these unusual scores were the result of “grace marks” awarded to candidates who allegedly lost examination time at certain centres. While hearing the case, the Supreme Court observed that the “sanctity” of the examination process had been affected. However, the court declined to order a nationwide re-examination, stating that there was no evidence to prove a systemic leak that had impacted all candidates across the country.
UGC NET Exam 2024 Cancelled
The UGC NET examination in June 2024, affecting around 9 lakh students, was cancelled. The Ministry of Education on June 19, 2024, announced the cancellation of the NET examination after inputs from the Ministry of Home Affairs suggested that the integrity of the examinations had been compromised, according to reports.
UP Police Constable Recruitment Exam
The UP Police Constable recruitment examination in February 2024, which affected around 48 lakh candidates, was cancelled due to a widespread leak, and a re-examination was ordered, as per reports.
UP RO, ARO Prelims Cancelled
The UP Review Officer or Assistant Review Officer (RO/ARO) preliminary exam in February 2024, which had 10.76 lakh registered candidates, was completely cancelled, as per records.
