The National Testing Agency (NTA) announced on X that the NEET UG 2026 examination conducted on May 3 has been cancelled following reports of a paper leak in Rajasthan. The decision comes amid a series of disruptions affecting India’s examination system in 2026, where several major competitive exams were cancelled or postponed due to allegations of malpractice, administrative issues and technical glitches, impacting national-level recruitment and entrance tests conducted by multiple agencies.

NEET UG 2026 cancelled after paper leak allegations

The National Testing Agency (NTA) cancelled the NEET-UG 2026 examination conducted on May 3, 2026, following serious allegations of a paper leak. The agency has announced that a re-examination will be conducted, with revised dates to be published on its official website.

NEET UG 2025 hit by power cuts and biometric failures

The NEET-UG 2025 examination conducted in May witnessed multiple biometric authentication failures at several centres, creating confusion among candidates. In Indore, heavy rainfall caused power outages during the exam. Students were reportedly forced to write the paper under dim lighting conditions. Emergency backup lighting lasted only about 10 minutes before batteries were exhausted, leading to protests over the disruption.

Also Read: NEET UG 2026 cancelled: Why the exam has been cancelled, re-exam date and what's next?

CUET-UG 2025 affected by glitches and registration issues

The CUET-UG 2025 examination faced criticism due to technical glitches, out-of-syllabus questions and registration failures across several centres. On May 16, over 350 candidates were affected in regions including Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir due to software and connectivity issues, resulting in postponements at nearly 50 centres. The National Testing Agency later announced a re-exam for candidates who appeared for the Accountancy paper between May 13 and May 16 after questions were found outside the syllabus. The sudden retest led to concerns among students and parents over increased stress levels. Earlier, the CUET-UG application portal crashed on the final day of registration in March, forcing an extension of the deadline till March 24.

BPSC exams cancelled over cheating and malpractice reports

The Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) cancelled the Assistant Education Development Officer (AEDO) 2026 examination held between April 14 and April 21, 2026, after reports of cheating and malpractice at multiple centres.

Separately, the BPSC Assistant Public Cleanliness and Waste Management Officer examination conducted on April 23, 2026, was also cancelled due to allegations of misconduct.

Also Read: NTA NEET UG 2026 Exam New date: Here's what parents and students shoud know as May 3 medical entrance exam get cancelled

DSSSB, UPSC and Bihar Daroga exams postponed

The Delhi Subordinate Services Selection Board (DSSSB) postponed the TGT, PGT and PRT examinations scheduled for March 2026. Officials stated that the decision was taken in view of a proposal to increase the upper age limit.

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) also delayed the Civil Services Examination 2026 notification slightly due to administrative reasons.

In Bihar, the Police Sub-Inspector Mains Examination 2026, originally scheduled for April 19, was postponed.

Centre-specific cancellations in SSC and CTET exams

The Staff Selection Commission (SSC) cancelled the MTS 2026 examination held on February 11 (Shift 1) at select centres in the Central Region, including Lucknow, Kanpur and Patna, due to technical issues.

Similarly, the SSC GD Constable 2026 exam conducted on April 27 (Shift 2) was cancelled at specific centres in Kolkata and Durgapur following technical glitches.

The CTET 2026 examination held on February 7 and 8 was also cancelled at two centres in Hajipur, Bihar, due to unavoidable circumstances.

Also Read: NEET-UG cancelled due to paper leak: How a PG in Rajasthan created a mess for 22 lakh medical students

Government exams that were cancelled or faced disruption in 2025

Repeated disruptions in the form of paper leaks, technical glitches and exam cancellations continued to affect India’s examination system in 2025. Several competitive, recruitment and board-level tests were either cancelled or rescheduled after irregularities, prompting retests, administrative action and widespread protests from candidates across multiple states.

SSC orders re-exam after technical issues

The Staff Selection Commission conducted the SSC CGL Tier-1 examination for 2025 between September 12 and 26. A re-examination was later held on October 14 for candidates who faced technical difficulties during the test. Following the September session, the Commission received around 10,000 representations through its candidate portal. Of these, nearly 2,000 candidates reported technical disruptions that impacted their examination experience, leading to corrective measures and a retest.

UKSSSC exam cancelled after alleged paper leak

The Uttarakhand Subordinate Service Selection Commission cancelled its graduate-level recruitment examination twice following allegations of a paper leak. The main accused, Khalid Malik, was arrested in connection with the case. During interrogation, he reportedly admitted to concealing a mobile phone inside the examination centre a day before the test, photographing question paper pages from a washroom and sharing them with his sister.

Assam Class 11 exams scrapped after multiple leaks

In March 2025, the Assam State School Education Board cancelled all remaining Class 11 examinations after reports of multiple paper leaks surfaced from different centres. The decision was taken amid concerns over the credibility of the examination process as leak reports emerged from several locations across the state.

JAC Class 10 exams cancelled and rescheduled

The Jharkhand Academic Council cancelled Class 10 Hindi and Science examinations scheduled for February 20 after alleged question papers appeared on social media. A re-examination was announced later, and Jharkhand Police arrested 10 individuals in connection with the leak. The Class 10 and 12 board exams subsequently began on February 11 under tightened security arrangements.

HPSC Assistant Professor exam cancelled over irregularities

The Haryana Public Service Commission cancelled the Assistant Professor (Hindi) written examination after allegations of paper leakage, technical glitches and security lapses. The exam, conducted at multiple centres in Panchkula, reportedly faced issues related to question paper printing, sealing procedures and overall examination management.

Odisha ANM exam cancelled after suspected leak

The Auxiliary Nurse Midwifery examination in Odisha was cancelled after allegations that the question paper had been leaked around three hours before the test. The matter was raised in the state Assembly, with claims that the leak originated from Malkangiri and Bolangir districts. Following the reports, the Director of Medical Education and Training ordered the cancellation of the examination.

Odisha Police SI exam postponed amid cheating probe

The recruitment examination for 933 posts under the Odisha Combined Police Service, scheduled for October 5 and 6, was cancelled after authorities detained 119 individuals, including 114 candidates. The candidates were allegedly taken to the Odisha–Andhra Pradesh border where a cheating network provided access to question papers. A senior IPS officer stated that the recruitment process would resume after the completion of the investigation.

Railway recruitment exam leak busted by CBI

In March 2025, the Central Bureau of Investigation uncovered a major paper leak linked to loco pilot recruitment in the East Central Railway at Mughal Sarai. The probe led to the arrest of 26 railway officials, including a senior divisional electrical engineer (Operations), who were accused of leaking question papers for money. During raids on March 3 and 4, investigators detained 17 loco pilots with copies of the leaked paper and seized Rs 1.17 crore in cash.