Question Paper Leak

Datanomics: Digital censorship in India rose sharply over the past decade

India issued over 54,000 digital block orders between 2014 and 2025, with MeitY emerging as the leading authority behind online content restrictions

Updated On: 18 Jun 2026 | 8:33 PM IST

Best of BS Opinion: India needs to fix its many governance failures

Today's BS Opinion examines the NEET-UG paper leak, the delayed AI171 crash report, creditor rights under the IBC, urban safety failures and a global history of caste

Updated On: 18 Jun 2026 | 6:15 AM IST

Telegram moves Delhi HC against curbs imposed ahead of Neet UG re-exam

On Tuesday, the government ordered the temporary suspension of Telegram's services across India until June 22, ahead of the Neet UG 2026 re-examination scheduled for June 21

Updated On: 17 Jun 2026 | 12:28 PM IST

India has 'punished' over 150 mn users by banning Telegram: CEO Durov

Pavel Durov said banning Telegram would do little to curb the circulation of leaked content and would push such activity to other platforms

Updated On: 17 Jun 2026 | 10:32 AM IST

Anyone trying to distort NEET retest will face full might of law: Govt

The government on Friday warned that the full might and weight of law will fall on anyone who tries to distort, disrupt, or tamper with the integrity of the NEET re-exam scheduled to be held on June 21. This was conveyed by Cabinet Secretary T V Somanathan at a meeting where he reviewed the preparedness for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) for admission to undergraduate medical courses in all medical institutions with National Testing Agency (NTA) Director General Abhishek Singh. During the meeting, Somanathan emphasised the need for ensuring a smooth, transparent and secure conduct of the re-examination through close coordination among all concerned stakeholders, the statement said. "The central government, state governments and district administration are working together in close coordination to ensure smooth conduct of the NEET re-examination. The full might and weight of law will fall on any person trying in any manner to distort, disrupt, or tamper with the ..

Updated On: 12 Jun 2026 | 7:25 PM IST

NTA eyes AI-led question paper setting to reduce leak risks, says DG

Singh said the recent controversy stemmed largely from excessive reliance on human processes and that greater use of AI and technology could help reduce such vulnerabilities

Updated On: 06 Jun 2026 | 10:24 PM IST

NEET-UG 2026: NTA dismisses claims of re-exam paper 'leak', warns of action

The National Testing Agency (NTA) on Saturday dismissed as "false" and "fraudulent" claims circulating on social media about alleged leak or sale of the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination question paper and warned of strict action against those spreading such content. In a statement on X, the agency said messages claiming a "leak", advance access or "sale" of the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination paper were aimed at misleading students and parents. "The National Testing Agency (NTA) has noted certain messages circulating on social media and messaging platforms claiming a 'leak', advance access or 'sale' of the NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination question paper," the NTA said in a post on X. "These claims are false, fraudulent and intended to mislead," the NTA said, adding that such content was being circulated by "organised cheating rackets" seeking to exploit the anxiety of candidates and their families by selling fake question papers. "Such content is the work of organised cheating rackets that pre

Updated On: 06 Jun 2026 | 9:06 PM IST

Dharmendra Pradhan's continuation as Edu Min an insult to students: Cong

The Congress on Saturday said Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan must take responsibility for the lapses in CBSE on-screen marking (OSM), calling his continuation in office an insult to lakhs of students and their families. Pradhan's continuation in office only speaks of his desire for power, the Congress remarked and accused him of being "incompetent" in running a "compromised ministry". In a post on X, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said after weeks of denying any wrongdoing and claiming that all is well with its COEMPT's On Mark portal, the CBSE has finally been forced to acknowledge COEMPT's incompetence. He cited media reports in this regard that claimed that after initial denial, the CBSE invited an ethical hacker to plug gaps in the IT system. "It began with a public acknowledgment of the data breach (months after the cybersecurity vulnerabilities were reported by 19-year-old Nisarga Adhikary), and has now become even more painfully clear, as reports emerge that

Updated On: 06 Jun 2026 | 6:28 PM IST

Remove Pradhan or take responsibility: Rahul Gandhi to PM on NEET paper row

Amid the NEET paper leak row, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should immediately sack Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan or take personal accountability, and alleged that the "BJP-RSS nexus" has destroyed India's education system. The Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha said the hard work of 22 lakh NEET aspirants has gone to waste. "The whole country knows that two days before NEET, its question paper was being distributed on WhatsApp. Dharmendra Pradhan ji says he has nothing to do with the matter. The (Parliamentary) Committee had made recommendations but he put it in the dustbin on the pretext that opposition people were on the committee and that it was of no use," Gandhi said in a video statement. "The truth is that you (government) have damaged the core of India. This is a nexus of the RSS, the BJP and their people that have been installed in universities, vice chancellors and professors, to mint money," the former Congress

Updated On: 16 May 2026 | 7:46 PM IST

Centre appoints 4 officials in NTA amid NEET-UG paper leak controversy

The Centre on Saturday appointed two each joint secretaries and joint directors in the National Testing Agency (NTA), which is under the heat over the NEET-UG paper leak. Anuja Bapat, a 1998-batch officer of Indian Statistical Service, and Ruchita Vij, a 2004-batch officer of Indian Revenue Service (Customs and Indirect Taxes), will be new joint secretaries in the NTA for five years, an order issued by the Personnel Ministry said. Akash Jain, an Indian Revenue Service (Income Tax) officer, and Aditya Rajendra Bhojgadhiya, and Indian Audit and Accounts Service officer, have been named joint directors in the NTA, the ministry said in a separate order. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a case and formed teams to probe the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test- Undergraduate (NEET-UG) paper leak that resulted in the cancellation of the exam held on May 3. Nearly 23 lakh candidates had registered for the test, which was administered by the NTA across the country.

Updated On: 16 May 2026 | 7:18 PM IST

Plea seeking dissolution of NTA moved in SC after NEET-UG 2026 paper leak

Plea seeks a writ directing the Centre to dissolve the NTA and replace it with a statutory national testing body created through legislation passed by Parliament

Updated On: 16 May 2026 | 1:02 PM IST

NEET vs JEE, CAT, UPSC: Why some national exams inspire more public trust

From NEET and JEE to UPSC and CAT, India's top competitive exams shape millions of careers. But recent controversies have exposed stark differences in how students view the credibility of exam systems

Updated On: 15 May 2026 | 2:18 PM IST

NTA credibility crisis: Why India's testing agency keeps failing students

Paper leaks, exam cancellations, technical glitches, and delayed reforms have deepened concerns over transparency, accountability, and fairness in India's entrance exam system

Updated On: 14 May 2026 | 5:01 PM IST

NEET-UG 2026: Plea in SC seeks NTA revamp or replacement, monitoring panel

A medical body has urged the Supreme Court to direct restructuring or replacement of NTA with a robust and autonomous system to conduct NEET-UG, citing a "direct assault" on the fundamental rights of over 22.7 lakh students through recurring paper leaks. The Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA), through lawyer Tanvi Dubey, has also sought a direction to appoint a high-powered monitoring committee until a fresh body is formally constituted to oversee the re-examination. It further said the committee should comprise a retired Supreme Court judge as the chair, along with a cybersecurity expert and a forensic scientist, to ensure that no further leaks occur. The undergraduate-level National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) held on May 3 by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for admissions to medical education programmes was cancelled on May 12 amid allegations of paper leak, which are now being probed by the CBI. The NTA, Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, a

Updated On: 14 May 2026 | 2:53 PM IST

Neet-UG cancellation leaves students battling uncertainty, added costs

The cancellation has left students and families distressed, raising concerns over trust in NTA and adding financial worries amid uncertainty over the retest

Updated On: 13 May 2026 | 5:34 PM IST

NEET to recruitment tests: Why India's competitive exams keep failing

The cancellation of NEET-UG 2026 following alleged paper leaks has reignited concerns over the integrity of India's competitive examination system

Updated On: 13 May 2026 | 4:54 PM IST

NEET-UG 2026: Kerala student linked to Rajasthan guess paper circulation

The origins of a guess paper containing questions similar to those asked in NEET-UG 2026 medical exam were traced to a student from Rajasthan's Sikar pursuing MBBS in Kerala who went on to share it with his friends and a hostel owner, a senior official of the state's Special Operation's Group said. IG, Special Operations Group (SOG), Ajay Pal Lamba said the student first received the material from a friend and shared it with others in Sikar. The document subsequently reached several coaching students and later reached candidates in Jaipur and nearby areas before the exam that was held on May 3. Another official said the student from Kerala forwarded the guess paper with a hostel owner in Sikar and some of his friends. The hostel owner shared the guess papers to students living in the hostel, saying it could be helpful. However, the hostel owner himself later tipped off the local police about the guess paper. He had informed that a question bank had been distributed among a large ..

Updated On: 13 May 2026 | 1:43 PM IST

NTA cancels 2026 NEET (UG); CBI opens investigation into 'paper leak'

Centre cancels medical entrance exam and orders CBI-led investigation into alleged leak

Updated On: 12 May 2026 | 11:10 PM IST

Himachal Board cancels Class 12 English exam over suspected paper leak

The Himachal Pradesh Board of School Education has cancelled the Class 12 English examination for the March 2025 session across all examination centres in the state following the possibility of a paper leak, officials said on Friday. The breach was detected at Government Senior Secondary School, Chowari, in District Chamba where the teachers by mistake opened the English question paper of Class 12 in place of Class 10. According to the schedule, the English paper of Class 10 was on March 7 while the English paper of Class 12 was on March 8. According to an official notification issued by the Board, an anonymous complaint was received on March 7, alleging that the Class 12 English question paper had been opened before the scheduled date and time. The Board promptly investigated the matter and verified the claim using video evidence from the "Exam Mitra App", a new monitoring system introduced to enhance examination security. Himachal Pradesh Board of School Education Secretary Vish

Updated On: 07 Mar 2025 | 10:17 PM IST

Video: Prashant Kishor forcibly removed from BPSC protest site in Patna

Prashant Kishor resisted the police's attempt to remove him from the site, which led to a tense situation following which he was detained

Updated On: 06 Jan 2025 | 9:47 AM IST