'Govt acted immediately': Rajasthan minister Meena on NEET-UG 2026 paper leak, says 'guilty won't escape law'

Jaipur (Rajasthan) [India], May 12 : Rajasthan Minister Kirodi Lal Meena on Tuesday assured that the accused individuals in the paper leak of NEET-UG 2026 examination will not be able to escape the clutches of the law.

Minister Meena also defended the Centre's handling of the paper leak allegations, saying the government acted immediately by cancelling the exam and ordering a CBI probe.

"See the government's sensitivity: when it came to light that the examination paper had been leaked and that 120 out of the 320 questions matched the actual question paper, the government immediately cancelled the examination and ordered a CBI inquiry. Whosoever is found guilty, whether from Kerala or Sikar, will now be unable to escape the clutches of the law," he told ANI.

Responding to opposition criticism, Meena said the Centre's steps disprove claims of a cover-up.

"Regarding the statements being issued by the oppositionclaiming that the government intends to cover up this matterthe facts speak for themselves: a CBI inquiry was initiated immediately, the examination was cancelled without delay, and an announcement regarding the re-examination is expected very soon," he added.

Targeting former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Meena questioned the opposition's record on paper leaks.

"You yourselves are witnesses to the past track record of Mr Gehlot and others who are currently issuing statements. During their tenure, 17 out of 18 examination papers were leaked. In one specific instance of a paper leak, when I personally visited the police station and waited for three days to register an FIR, they refused to do so; instead, they arrested me. Therefore, they possess no moral authority to level accusations against us, as their own record is far from clean, given that the highest number of paper leaks occurred during their administration," he said.

Meena added that the current government is treating the NEET-UG 2026 leak with "utmost seriousness."

"Nevertheless, we are treating this recent incident with the utmost seriousness, and the CBI will ensure that anyone found to be involved receives appropriate legal punishment," he added.

The remark comes after the Centre on Tuesday cancelled the NEET-UG 2026 examination amid allegations of paper leak and examination irregularities.

The National Students' Union of India (NSUI) workers held a protest against the central government after the examination was cancelled. Protestors were seen climbing the barricades at Shastri Bhavan, marking their protest.

The NEET exam this year was held on May 3. As per the NTA, 22.79 lakh students appeared for the exam, which was held across 551 cities in India and 14 cities abroad, covering more than 5,400 centres.

The Government has also referred the matter to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for a comprehensive probe into the allegations.

In a statement, the National Testing Agency (NTA) said the decision was taken after inputs were examined in coordination with central agencies, and findings shared by law enforcement agencies raised concerns over the integrity of the examination process.

"On the basis of the inputs subsequently examined by NTA in coordination with the central agencies, and the investigative findings shared by the law enforcement agencies and in order to ensure that there is transparency in the system, the National Testing Agency, with the approval of the Government of India, has decided to cancel the NEET (UG) 2026 examination conducted on 3 May 2026, and to re-conduct the examination on dates that will be notified separately," the statement said.

The agency said the "present examination process could not be allowed to stand."

The NTA further said the Government of India has decided to hand over the matter to the CBI for a "comprehensive inquiry" into the allegations.

Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor