National Testing Agency faces controversy over NEET‑UG 2026 OMR score discrepancies

The National Testing Agency (NTA) declared the NEET‑UG 2026 results on 16 July, with 11.21 lakh candidates qualifying for MBBS, BDS and AYUSH programmes. After the original May 3 exam was cancelled due to a suspected paper leak, a re‑exam was held on 21 June. Following the result announcement, numerous candidates—particularly in Maharashtra’s Beed district—claimed large gaps between the marks they calculated from the official answer key and the scores printed on their scorecards, such as 522 versus 95 and 702 versus 87. The agency said that many OMR sheets submitted for grievance scrutiny were found to be fake or generated by artificial intelligence and warned that such submissions could lead to legal action. NTA also announced that future NEET‑UG exams will be conducted as computer‑based tests. The controversy drew political criticism, with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal calling the agency “a disgrace to the country.” In parallel, experts noted that higher cut‑off marks this year have intensified competition, and some Delhi toppers saw their scores fall in the re‑exam, ending their AIIMS‑admission hopes.