Overview
- Manisha Gurunath Mandhare, a Pune botany professor on the NTA paper-setting panel, was arrested Saturday for allegedly leaking biology questions through pre-exam coaching sessions at her home.
- Her arrest followed Friday’s detention of retired chemistry lecturer P.V. Kulkarni, whom the CBI calls a kingpin and who allegedly dictated questions and answers that matched the May 3 paper; a Delhi court sent him and recruiter Manisha Waghmare to 10 days of CBI custody.
- Investigators say two leaked sets originated inside the testing system, one handwritten and one typed, and moved through a chain of middlemen using encrypted messaging, with deals reported around ₹10–12 lakh for access.
- After the second insider arrest, officials say the entire NEET paper-setting committee and senior NTA officers are under scrutiny, and India Today reports an unnamed NTA official is also being examined.
- The May 3 exam was canceled and the government set a free retest for June 21 with fresh admit cards due by June 14, and the education minister said NEET will shift to computer-based testing next year to tighten security.