Days after 22.7 lakh students appeared for India’s biggest medical entrance exam, a handwritten “guess paper” circulating in Rajasthan’s Sikar has shaken the system — with investigators finding up to 140 exact question matches and 600 marks’ worth of overlap.
Staff ReporterMay 11, 2026New Delhi / Jaipur
22.7L Students who appeared for NEET UG 2026 on May 3
140 Questions alleged to exactly match the circulated “guess paper”
13Suspects detained by Rajasthan SOG from Sikar, Jhunjhunu & Dehradun
India’s most critical medical entrance examination is once again at the centre of a paper-leak controversy. Just eight days after the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET-UG) 2026 was conducted on May 3, the Rajasthan Police’s Special Operations Group (SOG) has launched a probe into allegations that a handwritten “guess paper” circulated among students two days before the exam bore a startling resemblance to the actual question paper.
According to investigators, the circulated document — containing more than 300 handwritten questions across Physics, Chemistry, and Biology — allegedly matched approximately 140 questions exactly with those in the final NEET paper. A broader analysis suggests that nearly 600 out of 720 total marks’ worth of questions showed significant similarities, a finding that, if confirmed, could have decisively tilted admission rankings to hundreds of medical colleges across India.
“The paper was reportedly sold to students for between ₹20,000 and ₹2 lakh initially — and by the night before the exam, copies were changing hands for around ₹30,000 each.”— Business Today, citing SOG investigation sources
How it allegedly unfolded
May 1, 2026 — 48 hours before exam
Handwritten “guess paper” began circulating via WhatsApp among students in PG accommodations and coaching-linked networks in Sikar, Rajasthan. Initially dismissed as a routine prediction sheet.
May 3, 2026 — Exam day
NEET UG 2026 conducted nationwide across 5,400+ centres in 551 cities within India and 14 abroad. NTA deployed GPS-tracked vehicles, AI-monitored CCTV, biometric verification, and 5G jammers.
May 3–4, 2026 — Post-exam
Students comparing the “guess paper” with actual questions noticed an uncanny overlap — same questions, same phrasing, and in several cases, even the same sequence of answer options.
May 7, 2026
NTA received inputs regarding alleged malpractice and escalated the matter to central agencies. Rajasthan SOG begins formal investigation.
May 11, 2026
SOG detains 13 suspects from Sikar, Jhunjhunu and Dehradun. Probe traces the document to a Churu-based MBBS student studying in Kerala who allegedly shared it on May 1.
The NTA’s position
The National Testing Agency has maintained that the exam was conducted under a full security protocol. In an official statement, the agency said question papers were transported in GPS-tracked vehicles with unique watermark identifiers, examination halls were monitored via AI-assisted CCTV from a central control room, and biometric verification and 5G jammers were operational at all centres.
The NTA has not officially confirmed any paper leak, stating the investigation remains ongoing and urging students not to believe rumours. It also assured that the efforts of genuine aspirants “will not be devalued.” More than 65 Telegram channels were blocked by the agency for circulating fake question papers, and cyber-crime complaints were filed against those spreading false information.
Political and institutional reaction
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge swiftly condemned the Central Government, claiming that NEET paper leaks had now occurred in 2016, 2021, 2024, and 2026 — calling the pattern “totally unacceptable.” Opposition leaders demanded a Supreme Court-monitored inquiry and immediate cancellation of the exam.
“Repeated paper-leak controversies are damaging the trust of students in the education system.”— Dr Mohammad Momin Khan, Ex Vice President, All India Medical Students’ Association (AIMSA)
The Indian Medical Association’s Junior Doctors Network (IMA-JDN) reiterated that similar claims were dismissed by authorities in 2024 — only for multiple arrests to later confirm the leak. “It’s 2026 today, nothing has changed,” said Dr Dhruv Chauhan, National Spokesperson of IMA-JDN.
Similar allegations also emerged from Latur in Maharashtra, where videos of coaching academy test-series papers resembling the NEET paper circulated on social media, though local police said an investigation had not yet begun.
What comes next
The Rajasthan SOG’s findings will play a central role in determining next steps. Authorities — including the Ministry of Education — may choose between taking no action (if no wrongdoing is found), acting against specific individuals or centres, or in the most serious outcome, ordering a full re-examination. As of May 11, the matter remains under investigation and no final decision has been announced.
For India’s 22.7 lakh NEET aspirants — many of whom have spent years preparing — the uncertainty adds to an already high-stakes wait. The NEET 2026 controversy echoes the furore of 2024, which had triggered nationwide student protests, Supreme Court hearings, and CBI investigations into what became one of the worst exam integrity scandals in India’s recent history.
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