India's exam agencies embroiled in UGC‑NET paper leak and NEET impersonation scandals

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleged that a 100‑page PDF of the UGC‑NET Sociology paper was circulating online before the June 30, 2026 exam, with nearly 90 questions matching the actual test. He claimed the paper was being sold for up to Rs 2.25 lakh in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi and Rajasthan and accused the National Testing Agency (NTA) of failing to safeguard exam integrity. Candidates also complained of spelling mistakes, poor Hindi translations and questions outside the syllabus. The NTA said it has received the representations and will review them.

In a separate but related development, Patna Medical College and Hospital suspended a fourth‑year MBBS student after police linked him to a NEET UG 2026 impersonation ring. Bihar authorities arrested 30 people – including medical students and biometric staff – for using forged Aadhaar IDs to field dummy candidates in the re‑exam that followed a previous NEET paper‑leak cancellation. An Economic Offences Unit investigation is underway.

Both incidents have prompted the Education Ministry to order inquiries into the NTA’s processes and broader exam security measures.