Rajasthan Education Minister Madan Dilawar sparked a row as he dismissed the cancellation of NEET-UG 2026 exam as no great concern.
The minister said that the government would simply 'correct' any wrongdoing found, even as aspirants across the country broke down over years of preparation rendered meaningless by a paper leak that investigators say compromised 135 of the exam's 180 questions.
"The investigating agencies must have found irregularities, so cancelling it is not a big issue," Dilawar told reporters. "Wherever any wrongdoing is found, the government will work to correct it."
Meanwhile, Rajasthan Minister Kirodi Lal Meena defended the government's handling, saying, "See the government's sensitivity: when it came to light that the examination paper had been leaked, the government immediately cancelled the examination and ordered a CBI inquiry. Whosoever is found guilty, whether from Kerala or Sikar, will now be unable to escape the clutches of the law."
The Rajasthan Special Operations Group established that a handwritten 'guess paper' containing 135 of NEET's 180 questions had been circulating as early as April 29 — four days before the exam — passed through a chain network spanning Nashik, Haryana, Rajasthan and Kerala, and was being sold for up to Rs 30 lakh in some transactions.
SOG IG Ajay Pal Lamba confirmed that after questioning over 150 candidates and their guardians, it became clear the paper had been circulated in Rajasthan before the exam began, traced back to an individual in Haryana who had received it from Nashik in Maharashtra.
ALSO READ: Who Is Shubham Khairnar? Student Bought NEET-UG Paper For Rs 10 Lakh, Sold For Rs 15 Lakh — Reports
In New Delhi, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan offered no defence — he reportedly walked away from reporters without making any statement.
Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot accused the state's BJP government of suppressing the matter for two weeks and "playing with the future of youth," alleging that information related to the paper leak had not been acted upon in time.
The CBI has since registered an FIR. 15 Accused have been arrested so far from Rajasthan and Maharashtra. Fresh exam dates are yet to be announced.
ALSO READ: NEET UG 2026 Row: 'Mastermind' Behind Paper Leak Arrested; What We Know So Far
Essential Business Intelligence, Continuous LIVE TV, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.