Punjab's Aryan Gupta and Haryana's Panshul Bansal topped the NEET-UG for medical admissions as 11.21 lakh candidates qualified the entrance exam this year, the National Testing Agency announced on Thursday.
The Indian education ministry has undergone a significant reshuffle of top officials, including the removal of higher education secretary Vineet Joshi, amidst widespread controversies surrounding NEET-UG paper leaks and CBSE digital evaluation glitches, with the opposition demanding the resignation of Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
The Congress party has criticised the Modi government's announcement of a new committee on exam reforms, alleging it is a tactic to divert public attention. The opposition highlighted that recommendations from a previous committee formed in 2024 remain largely unimplemented, while Prime Minister Modi has now constituted another high-powered task force led by Nandan Nilekani to reform NTA examinations.
The Congress party has criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement of fast-track courts for paper leak cases, calling it "too little, too late" and a "deceptive" measure. The party demands accountability from the Modi government for its alleged failures in preventing and investigating paper leaks, specifically citing issues with the NEET-UG and UGC-NET investigations.
The Union Cabinet has approved a draft bill to introduce stricter punishments for examination paper leaks, following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement. This new legislation builds upon the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, aiming to curb cheating in public examinations conducted by various central agencies amidst recent controversies like the NEET and NET paper leaks.
A parliamentary committee has voiced concerns over ongoing examination irregularities despite government measures, recommending the Ministry of Education publish a time-bound roadmap for reforms. The panel also urged a nationwide blacklist of firms involved in exam processes and suggested utilising the National Testing Agency's financial surplus to enhance its capabilities.
According to the National Testing Agency, the results for IIT-JEE will be declared on February 16, 2026.
The NEET-UG re-exam was held at centres across the country and overseas on Sunday amid tight security arrangements for the smooth conduct of the examination.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan urged 22 lakh students appearing for the NEET re-exam to do so "fearlessly and free of anxiety," while the National Testing Agency (NTA) reminded candidates to download fresh admit cards and adhere to entry guidelines.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended birthday wishes to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, commending his significant contributions to the implementation of the National Education Policy. This praise follows the successful re-examination of NEET-UG, despite earlier controversies surrounding paper leaks.
'We can integrate AI and tech into education, but that is just a means and not an end.' 'Ultimately, we need to control what happens in a classroom and we need to let teachers innovate their teaching style to suit the needs of Gen Z and beyond.'
Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi has launched a scathing attack on the Modi government, accusing it of responding to student demands for accountability and educational reforms with 'cowardice and wanton cruelty,' treating them as 'enemies of the nation.' She further alleged that the government has degraded India's education landscape and routinely chooses violence over dialogue.
Parliament on Thursday passed a bill to amend the anti-paper leak law to introduce stricter punishments, with the government expressing its commitment to go the extra mile to safeguard the interests of students, who are the country's future.
The challenge thrown by the youth movement creates the opportunity for a more consequential debate on India's economic trajectory because it must remain centered on India's youth as its driving impulse, asserts former foreign secretary Shyam Saran.
The National Testing Agency (NTA) has implemented extensive security and logistical arrangements, including AI-based CCTV monitoring, biometric verification, and police escorts, to ensure the smooth, secure, and transparent conduct of the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination.
The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test Undergraduate (NEET UG) 2026 toppers are Punjab's Aryan Gupta and Haryana's Panshul Bansal, who secured joint All India Rank 1 with 715 out of 720 marks each.
The Indian government has temporarily restricted access to the Telegram messaging app and disabled its message-editing feature in India until June 22, 2026, and June 30, 2026, respectively, ahead of the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination to combat organised cheating rackets.
The NTA has increased the rough-work space available to candidates in the question-paper booklet. Students will now receive four rough-work pages instead of two, allowing more space for calculations, diagrams, and other workings during the examination.
Student organisations across India celebrated the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, attributing it to their nationwide protests against alleged NEET irregularities. While welcoming the move as a victory, groups like NSUI, AISA, and SFI affirmed their commitment to continue agitations until broader demands for accountability, transparency, and education reforms, including scrapping the NTA and NEP, are met.
The Delhi High Court has asked the Centre to respond to Telegram's petition challenging a temporary government order that restricts access to its platform and disables message-editing features in India, citing concerns over potential cheating during the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination.
The Supreme Court has stated it will consider the recommendations of the Nandan Nilekani-led task force regarding the online conduct of the NEET examination, emphasising the need for additional safeguards in cybersecurity and database protection. This follows the cancellation of the NEET-UG exam due to an alleged paper leak and subsequent re-test.
President Droupadi Murmu has given her assent to the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, which introduces fast-track courts and significantly enhances punishment for those involved in public examination question paper leaks.
The Supreme Court has refused a plea seeking the NEET-UG 2026 re-test to be conducted in computer-based test mode, citing the National Testing Agency's existing challenges. The court has scheduled the hearing for July 27.
The Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, passed by the Lok Sabha, introduces significantly stricter punishments for individuals and organised groups involved in paper leaks and other unfair means in public examinations. The legislation aims to enhance the integrity of exams conducted by various central government agencies.
After reviewing the preparations at the headquarters of the National Testing Agency (NTA), Pradhan said meetings have been held under the Cabinet secretary, and all the states have been asked to cooperate.
Amidst ongoing controversy surrounding the NEET and CUET UG 2026 exams, the National Testing Agency (NTA) faced tough questions from a parliamentary standing committee regarding safeguards against paper leaks and hacking vulnerabilities.
The NTA has also confirmed that the upcoming re-examination, scheduled for June 21, 2026, will be conducted entirely free of cost for all previously registered candidates, funded fully through the agency's internal reserves.
The government is considering using the Indian Air Force to transport NEET-UG papers to ensure a secure retest on June 21, following allegations of malpractices in the original exam.
Google has removed the messaging app Telegram from its Play Store in India, with Apple expected to follow, in compliance with a government order aimed at preventing paper leaks during the upcoming NEET-UG re-examination on June 21. The government has also directed Telegram to temporarily disable its message-editing feature until June 30.
The Lok Sabha has approved an amendment to India's anti-paper leak law, introducing stricter punishments including jail terms of up to 10 years and fines of up to Rs 50 lakh, in response to recent large-scale student protests and the NEET paper leak case.
Here are all the details you need to know about the NEET-UG re-exam.
A 17-year-old NEET aspirant in Lucknow allegedly died by suicide, reportedly due to depression following the cancellation of the NEET-UG examination and the pressure of the upcoming re-exam. Her family stated she was hopeful after the initial exam but became distressed after its cancellation.
Based on the official NTA statement and government directives issued on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, here is a guide for students and parents about what they can do now.
The CBI Director has updated a parliamentary panel on the NEET-UG paper leak investigation, while education ministry officials outlined measures for a fair retest.
Holding Home Minister Amit Shah responsible for alleged police brutalities on protesting students, Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday said that "Jan Shakti" (people's power) will "drag him out" one day to make him accountable.
The National Testing Agency (NTA) has cancelled the NEET (UG) 2026 exam, which was conducted on May 3, following allegations of irregularities. A CBI inquiry has been ordered, and a re-examination will be scheduled.
The CBI has arrested a Pune-based lecturer for allegedly leaking the physics paper of NEET UG 2026 to a select group of aspirants. The lecturer, employed with a Pune school, is termed as another 'source' for the paper leak. The CBI investigation continues with searches and analysis of seized documents.
India is set to introduce a new amendment to its anti-paper leak law in the Lok Sabha, aiming to establish fast-track courts across all states and union territories for swift trials and significantly harsher penalties for exam malpractices, including jail terms of 5 to 10 years and fines up to Rs 50 lakh for individuals, and up to Rs 10 crore for organised crimes.
Amidst widespread student protests over the NEET paper leak, the Indian government has introduced the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, in the Lok Sabha. The bill proposes significantly stricter punishments, including jail terms of up to 10 years and fines of up to Rs 50 lakh for individuals involved in paper leaks, and up to Rs 10 crore for organised crimes, aiming to enhance transparency and fairness in public examinations.
The CBI is investigating the alleged involvement of a public servant associated with the National Testing Agency (NTA) in the NEET-UG paper leak case. Several arrests have been made, including lecturers and individuals accused of distributing leaked questions for monetary gain.
