Overview
- India’s testing agency scrapped the May 3 medical entrance exam on Tuesday and said a re-test will be held with no fresh registrations and fee refunds for candidates.
- CBI teams have taken over the case as police units report dozens detained and at least one arrest, including a Nashik student accused of buying the paper for ₹10 lakh and reselling it for ₹15 lakh, with another suspect held in Gurugram.
- Investigators are examining a 410-question “guess paper” that many students received before the test, with reports alleging about 140–150 questions matched the real paper, equal to roughly 600 marks because each NEET question carries four marks.
- NTA says it used GPS-tracked transport, traceable watermarks, AI CCTV, biometrics and 5G jammers, yet probes point to rapid sharing over encrypted apps and a distribution chain spanning multiple states.
- About 22 lakh candidates now face fresh uncertainty and extra study time, and coverage cites a preparation cost near ₹23,152.5 crore as calls grow for tougher exam-security reforms and tighter oversight of coaching networks.