How a ‘guess paper’ from Churu led to NEET-UG, India's biggest entrance test, being cancelled | India News

Days after more than 22 lakh students appeared for NEET-UG 2026 under heavy security, the exam was scrapped over allegations linked to a “guess paper” leak. The document, reportedly shared through coaching networks and WhatsApp groups before the test, has become the focus of a probe by central agencies.The handwritten document containing around 410 questions was circulated among students before the examination, according to Rajasthan police, news agency ANI reported.“There is a guess paper containing approximately 410 questions. Out of these, it is alleged that roughly 120 questions appeared from that," Vishal Bansal, Additional Director General (ADG) of the Rajasthan Police’s SOG, told ANI.What is a guess paper?A guess paper is usually a set of predicted questions prepared before an examination. Such papers are often based on previous years’ trends, coaching material, mock tests, and expected topics. They are common in board exams and competitive entrance tests.The Chemistry section in NEET contains 45 questions, but the examination reportedly used four different sets of question papers. The SOG later said more than 100 questions from the Biology and Chemistry sections combined showed “striking similarities” to the actual paper.Officials linked to the investigation told ANI that the similarities could account for nearly 600 out of the exam’s total 720 marks.Bansal added, “It is reported that this guess paper had been circulating among the students well in advance; it began reaching them as early as 15 days to a month prior to the actual examination. We are investigating on the basis of the guess paper and it is also available in open domain.”How the document allegedly spreadThe “guess paper” originated from a Churu-based MBBS student studying at a medical college in Kerala. Investigators believe the student sent the document to an associate in Rajasthan's Sikar on May 1, as per the investigation so far.From there, a paying guest accommodation owner allegedly distributed it to students staying at the facility. The material then reportedly spread through coaching networks and WhatsApp groups. Investigators said recovered chats carried the “forwarded many times” label.It may have circulated 42 hours before the exam, a PTI report citing police sources said.The document was allegedly sold for up to ₹5 lakh two days before the exam. Sources in the investigation team told news agencies that the price reportedly dropped to around ₹30,000 on the eve of the test.By May 11, thirteen suspects had been detained from Dehradun in Uttarakhand, and Sikar and Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan.What NTA saidThe National Testing Agency maintained that the examination was conducted under “full security protocol”. The agency said question papers were transported in GPS-tracked vehicles carrying unique watermark identifiers, in a statement posted on X.Examination halls were monitored through AI-assisted CCTV systems from a central control room. Biometric verification was conducted for every candidate and 5G signal jammers were deployed at centres. The agency said it received inputs regarding alleged malpractice on May 7, four days after the exam, and referred the matter to central agencies on May 8 for “independent verification and necessary action”.Neither the NTA nor the Rajasthan SOG officially used the term “paper leak”. Bansal described the material as a “guess paper” or “test series”, while the NTA referred to “alleged malpractice activity” and “alleged irregularities”.The agency initially said it would “not pre-judge the inquiry, nor characterise its likely outcome”, but on May 12, the examination was cancelled. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has now taken over the probe.Political reactionsCongress leader Rahul Gandhi said that exam questions were being sold on WhatsApp “42 hours before the exam” and that the future of 22 lakh students “was openly auctioned off in the marketplace”.After the cancellation, he said students’ “dreams were crushed” by a “corrupt BJP regime”.He also alleged that India had witnessed 89 paper leaks and 48 re-exams across competitive examinations in the last 10 years. The figure refers to multiple exams across sectors, not only NEET.NEET-UG 2026Every student seeking admission to undergraduate medical courses in India must clear NEET-UG, the national entrance examination for programmes including MBBS, BDS, BAMS, BHMS and BUMS. It is the biggest entrance test in India by number of students appearing.The 2026 exam was conducted on May 3 in pen-and-paper mode from 2 pm to 5 pm, with 22.79 lakh candidates appearing across 551 cities in India and 14 abroad.(With ANI and PTI inputs)