As the National Testing Agency (NTA) on Tuesday cancelled the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test – Undergraduate (NEET-UG) 2026 examination conducted on May 3 and announced a re-examination following paper leak allegations, NTA Chief and Director General (DG) Abhishek Singh said, “It’s embarrassing, but we want a fair examination.”
#NDTVExclusive | “Embarrassing, but we want fair exam; Probe will reveal lapses” : NTA chief Abhishek Singh speaks to NDTV’s @VedikaS on NEET UG 2026 exam being cancelled pic.twitter.com/HptV9uODcg
— NDTV (@ndtv) May 12, 2026
While speaking to NDTV, Singh said the agency is fully committed to conducting a fair and transparent examination for students across the country. He admitted that cancelling the examination after reports of a paper leak was an embarrassing situation for the agency, but said tough decisions were necessary to maintain the credibility of the exam process.
The NTA chief stressed that the agency will not allow anyone to play with students’ future. “A fresh examination will be conducted soon to ensure fairness for all candidates,” he said, adding that the probe will soon reveal where lapses occurred and who was responsible for the leak.
He also assured that strict action will be taken against those involved in playing with the future of students. “The agency is working on stronger security measures and will soon release detailed guidelines to prevent such incidents in future examinations,” added Singh.
The NEET-UG paper leak case has triggered nationwide protests and concern among students and parents, with many demanding stronger accountability and better safeguards in the examination system.
