The Centre appointed two joint secretaries and two joint directors to the National Testing Agency (NTA) amid the NEET-UG paper leak case.
The NEET-UG re-examination is being held on Sunday at centres across India and abroad under strict security arrangements to ensure a smooth conduct of the test.The National Testing Agency (NTA) is conducting the re-test after the original exam held on May 3 was cancelled due to an ongoing investigation into a question paper leak.The exam started at 2 PM and is scheduled to end at 5:15 PM. Candidates with disabilities who are eligible for compensatory time will be permitted to continue until 6:20 PM. However, several candidates and their families reported facing difficulties in commuting to their exam centres.A student from Rajasthan has alleged that she was prevented from entering an examination centre in Ajmer because she was wearing a burqa. Speaking to reporters, she claimed that officials refused her entry on that ground.According to ANI, the candidate said she had worn the same attire during the May 3 exam as well, when she was not stopped from entering the centre.A candidate, named Kulsum Bano, told ANI, “I have come from Beawar to take the NEET exam. When I took the exam on May 3rd, I was in the same attire then as I am now: wearing a burqa and a dupatta. Initially, they said I would have to remove the dupatta to enter; then they insisted I had to remove the burqa as well. If the NTA has permitted us, these people cannot stop us... If I am to take the exam and they don't allow me in this attire, then I simply won't take it... It is shameful that they are messing with 18-year-olds like this... The exam doesn't matter to me; what matters is my 'burqa' and my identity.”However, CO North Shivam Joshi says, "Students were admitted strictly according to the scheduled time, and the entry gates are now closed. The issue regarding the Burqa has also been resolved. There was some lack of clarity regarding certain rules, which was subsequently clarified by senior officials, settling the matter. Apart from this, there are no disputes at the examination centre, and all students have been admitted peacefully."In response to the allegations made by the student and her father, the National Testing Agency clarified that the candidate was permitted to enter the examination centre and sit for the re-exam.The examination is being held across 5,440 centres in 551 cities within India, as well as 14 centres overseas. It is conducted in English and 12 Indian languages. According to the NTA, more than 95,000 examination rooms are under CCTV surveillance.Officials said a total of 1,38,560 CCTV cameras have been installed, with live monitoring carried out at the national, state, and ministry levels. To prevent electronic malpractice, 51,311 signal jammers have also been deployed.Ahead of the re-exam, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan urged candidates to appear without fear or stress. Speaking at a yoga event at Delhi University on International Day of Yoga, he expressed full confidence in the NTA, state and district administrations, the education system, and students.If I am to take the exam and they don't allow me in this attire, then I simply won't take it... It is shameful that they are messing with 18-year-olds like this.He also appealed to the public not to engage in actions that could harm students’ mental well-being, stressing that the future of the country’s youth should not be jeopardised.(With inputs from agencies)Key TakeawaysThe incident highlights the intersection of cultural identity and educational regulations.Clarifying rules and consistent application is crucial in examination protocols to prevent unnecessary distress among students.The NTA aims to ensure a secure examination environment while addressing students' personal beliefs and practices.About the AuthorLivemintFor about a decade, Livemint—News Desk has been a credible source for authentic and timely news, and well-researched analysis on national news, business, personal finance, corporates, politics and geopolitics. We bring the latest updates on all the listed
Ahead of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET-UG) re-examination, a lawyer appearing for NEET-UG students told the Supreme Court on Friday that roughly 1,600 candidates were facing “tremendous anxiety and pressure” after seeing proceedings before the Delhi High Court on Thursday, where it was admitted that alleged paper leaks had surfaced on social media, LiveLaw reported.NEET re-exam students under pressure, says counselThe lawyer said, "This matter pertains to 1600 NEET candidates. They are under tremendous pressure and anxiety on account of all the rumours that are out there, including yesterday's proceedings before the Delhi High Court, which has categorically admitted and acknowledged that paper leaks and these events are there on social media."His remarks came as the apex court on Friday refused to entertain pleas seeking urgent listing of issues arising out of the NEET re-test scheduled for 21 June.Quick answers to key questions•5 QUESTIONSThe NTA has implemented extensive safeguards, including multi-layered security protocols and coordination with various ministries and state governments to maintain a safe and fair examination environment.The temporary ban was imposed to prevent misuse by organised cheating networks that were allegedly using Telegram to circulate leaked question papers and facilitate exam-related fraud.Candidates are being notified through reminder SMS, emails, and WhatsApp messages urging them to download their admit cards and to be wary of fraudulent communications.The NEET-UG re-examination is scheduled for June 21, following the cancellation of the original exam on May 12 due to paper leak allegations. The situation is currently under investigation by the CBI.Candidates experiencing issues with downloading their admit cards should contact the NTA for assistance, as there has been a surge in concerns related to different centres being displayed.The lawyer also sought the top court's intervention, citing concerns that many students are unable to download their admit cards, while others who were able to download pointed out different centres. The counsel said, “That apart, the concern is that they are not able to download the admit cards as well. The cards, which are being downloaded, point out different centres and all that. The students hardly have the time.”Supreme Court dismisses urgent hearing, cites ‘no urgency’The issue was mentioned before Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant by counsel appearing for over 1,600 NEET candidates.Dismissing the plea, CJI Kant observed that all matters about the re-examination have already been listed before a Bench headed by Justice PS Narasimha. CJI Kant added, “We will not entertain this. We know even judicial platforms are being used for these… All these matters are before Justice Narasimha’s bench. When vacation is over, it will all be taken up."NTA issues safety advisory, shares admit card on WhatsAppEarlier today, the National Testing Agency (NTA) said that it is sending reminder messages, emails, and WhatsApp notifications to candidates and urged them to download their admit cards for the upcoming NEET-UG re-examination scheduled for Sunday. The NTA also advised students to be careful of fraudulent messages and fake communications.In a post on X, it wrote, "NTA is sending reminder SMS and emails to candidates to download their admit cards for the re-examination on Sunday, 21 June 2026." It further informed the students that legitimate SMS messages would be sent from the official sender ID "NICPEP," and that emails would originate from "no-reply.neet.nta@nic.in."The agency also mentioned that it would now send exam updates and centre-related information directly to candidates via WhatsApp for the re-examination.The advisory reportedly followed several users flagging concerns on social media about "urgent" messages sent by the NTA asking students to download fresh admit cards for the 21 June re-examination, news agency PTI reported.NEET-UG exa
The Central government has temporarily blocked Telegram in India ahead of the NEET UG 2026 re-examination scheduled for June 21. The move comes as authorities seek to prevent cheating and curb the spread of misinformation linked to the country's largest medical entrance examination.The National Testing Agency (NTA) welcomed the decision, stating that it was aimed at maintaining the integrity of the examination process. According to the government, organised cheating networks have allegedly used Telegram to defraud candidates appearing for NEET UG. The messaging platform will remain inaccessible in India until June 22.Why Has Telegram Been Restricted?The decision comes weeks after the NEET UG 2026 examination was cancelled amid allegations of irregularities and claims of a paper leak.The examination, which was originally scheduled for May 3, was scrapped following the controversy. The re-examination is now set to be conducted on June 21 under heightened security measures.Officials have maintained that the temporary restriction on Telegram is intended to disrupt channels that could potentially be used to circulate leaked examination material or spread misleading information related to the test.Social Media Questions The MoveThe temporary block quickly became a major topic of discussion online, with users expressing a range of opinions about the government's decision.Among the most widely shared reactions was a post by X user Arun Prabhudesai, who argued that restricting Telegram would not address the underlying issues behind examination leaks."Can anyone tell me how banning Telegram is a solution here? Telegram isn't a chat app for most builders in India. It's the default deployment layer for AI agents, trading bots, automation pipelines. My team runs on it. So does much of the dev ecosystem I know.Blocking it for six days because NEET leaked on Telegram misses the point. The leak didn't happen because of Telegram, it happened because the exam chain of custody broke. Paper leaks move to WhatsApp, Signal, email, USB drives, printouts, whatever channel exists. Killing one pipe doesn't fix the plumbing.And it doesn't even work for the stated goal. Anyone who wants Telegram opens a VPN in 30 seconds. The exam cheaters aren't stopped. The builders are.Now every agent, bot, and scheduled workflow hitting a Telegram webhook is dead till June 22. Not just ours. Thousands of them. For an exam security measure that doesn't address the root cause.The collateral damage is the actual digital infrastructure people built while nobody was watching."Others echoed similar concerns."just coz these losers couldn't stop paper leak, they banned telegram," one user wrote on X.Another user posted:"> can't stop paper leaksends up blocking telegramblocking telegram totally isn't even possible, telegram is designed in such a way which easily allows people to use proxies and other methods of circumvention."Teachers And Students Raise ConcernsSome users highlighted Telegram's role as an educational communication platform.One user identifying as a teacher wrote:"Telegram to be restricted in India for some timeAs a teacher I interact with thousands of students daily on telegramNot sure what’s the alternative of itUPSC declared its prelims results last night and my messages are flooded with so many students seeking what to do aheadTelegram helps many like me to keep the coaching accessible and affordable (even free since communication is very easy)But we live in a society where govt can’t fix itself, it can’t correct its own ministers and departments, so it starts restricting othersThis is a terrible solution to a disease so deep that to me it exposes the absolute lack of control of government on nefarious elementsAt times you even start wondering if the nefarious elements have Govt’s backing and it just wants to use them to control the masses through non-state interventionsOverall, govt is well known to go after well meaning people and activities to show it’s
The incident occurred around 7:15 a.m. at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging Co. facility, triggering a major emergency response involving firefighters, paramedics and hazardous materials crews.The exterior of the Nippon Dynawave Packaging Co. is shown, after a tank containing hazardous liquid imploded, on Tuesday, May 26, 2026 in Longview, Wash. (AP Photo/Claire Rush)(AP Photo/Claire Rush)An implosion at a pulp and paper mill in southwestern Washington state killed multiple people and critically injured several others on Tuesday morning (May 26), according to local authorities and company officials.The incident occurred around 7:15 a.m. at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging Co. facility, triggering a major emergency response involving firefighters, paramedics and hazardous materials crews.According to the Longview Fire Department, the incident occurred at approximately 7:15 a.m. on May 26 at the company’s facility located at 3401 Industrial Way in Longview. Officials said a tank containing “white liquor,” a chemical treatment substance used in paper manufacturing, ruptured during operations.Initial reports described the event as an implosion involving a vat of chemical treatment product. Fire officials later confirmed the rupture caused a hazardous materials emergency.Injuries and fatalitiesIn a joint statement, officials from Nippon Dynawave Packaging Co. and local law enforcement confirmed that the rupture of a chemical storage tank resulted in deaths and “multiple critical injuries.”Authorities said some victims suffered severe burns and inhalation injuries following the implosion.Victims were transported by ambulance to area hospitals, including PeaceHealth St. John Medical Center and PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center.Officials later confirmed fatalities connected to the incident, though the exact number of deaths has not yet been released. Names of the injured and deceased are being withheld pending family notification.Emergency responseA large-scale emergency response was launched involving:-Longview Fire Department-Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue-Cowlitz County Sheriff's Office-Regional hazardous materials teams and emergency medical personnelResponse crews deployed five fire engines, seven ambulances, multiple chief officers, and a Hazardous Materials Team to stabilize the scene and assist recovery efforts.Public safety advisoryAuthorities emphasized there is currently no immediate threat to the surrounding community. Residents have been asked to avoid the area while emergency personnel continue operations safely.Investigation continuesThe cause of the tank rupture remains under investigation. Additional updates are expected as officials continue examining the circumstances surrounding the industrial accident.Stay updated with the latest Trending,
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Nearly 23 lakh students, three suicides and nine arrests — the NEET-UG 2026 'paper leak' row continues to spiral as the Opposition demands that Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan be sacked over the alleged irregularities in the conduct of the medical examination.The National Testing Agency (NTA) cancelled the National Eligibility cum Entrance Exam (Undergraduate) held on May 3 amid allegations of irregularities. Nearly 23 lakh candidates had registered for the test, which was administered by the NTA across the country.The re-exam has been scheduled for June 21.Here's all the latest you need to know:1. As of May 17, nine people have been arrested by the CBI in connection with the NEET-UG 2026 'paper leak'.Those arrested are:> Dhananjay Lokhande> Shubham Khairnar> Mangilal Biwal> Vikas Biwal> Dinesh Biwal> Yash Yadav> Manisha Waghmare> PV Kulkarni> Manisha Mandhare2. The Rouse Avenue court in Delhi on Sunday remanded Manisha Mandhare, a botany expert and NTA panellist, to 14 days of CBI custody in connection with the NEET UG Exam Paper leak case.Mandhare allegedly had conspired with other co-accused persons, including Manisha Waghmare and Prahlad Vittal Rao Kulkarni to leak questions and content to students for a substantial monetary gain.3. On May 16, a Rouse Avenue court granted 10 days' custody of Manisha Waghmare and Prahalad Kulkarni to the CBI .The CBI said that Prahalad Kulkarni is a retired teacher of Chemistry who distributed the exam paper to various people through Manisha Waghmare. She gave the examination paper to Dhananjay Lokhande of Pune and was in contact with him. They are from Pune, Maharashtra.4. On Friday, the court remanded Dhananjay Lokhande for six days of CBI custody in the NEET UG exam paper leak case. The other five accused are also in a seven-day CBI custody. All Accused will be produced before the court on May 22.The agency had said that the accused Dhananjay Nivrutti Lokhande, who is known to Shubham, collected NEET examination, 2026 material from co-accused Manisha Waghmare, who is a resident of Pune.The CBI had further said that Lokhande, after receiving the said NEET examination paper, 2026, further transmitted it to the accused Shubham Madhukar Khairnar. On April 24, Yash Yadav received PDF files of leaked question papers from Shubham Madhukar Khairnar through Telegram.5. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday why he was not sacking Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan despite repeated paper leaks in his tenure.In a post on X, Gandhi also questioned the prime minister's "silence" on the matter."NEET 2024: Paper leaked. Exam not cancelled. Minister did not resign. CBI set up an investigation. A committee was formed."NEET 2026: Paper leaked. Exam cancelled. Minister still did not resign. CBI is investigating again. Another committee will be formed," Gandhi posted on X."Mr Modi, the country is asking you some questions - answer them! Why are paper leaks happening repeatedly? Why are you silent time and again on this 'Pariksha pe Charcha'? Why aren't you dismissing the education minister who keeps failing repeatedly?" The Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha asked, using the hashtag "#SackPradhan".6. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi also said, "There are three such suicides that have taken place. And yes, I agree with what Rahul Gandhi is saying. These are murders committed by the government of India...Until we see accountability coming from the top, right from the Education Minister. We are going to see such instances crop up again and again..."7. Meanwhile, BJP Telangana President N Ramchander Rao said, "... In NEET case, the CBI has taken up the investigation, arresting the kingpins and several other accused.""This is undoubtedly a matter of concern for the future of students appearing for the NEET examination. The government acted once the leakage was revealed, ensuring the culprits were brought to justice," Rao said.He hit out at the Congress, saying
The Centre appointed two joint secretaries and two joint directors to the National Testing Agency (NTA) amid the NEET-UG paper leak case. Anuja Bapat and Ruchita Vij are the new joint secretaries, while Akash Jain and Aditya Bhojgadhiya are the joint directors with set tenures.SFI members stage a protest against the National Testing Agency (NTA) over the alleged paper leak concerns following the cancellation of the NEET-UG 2026 examination, at Cotton University, in Guwahati, Assam, Saturday, May 16, 2026. (PTI Photo)(PTI)The Centre on Saturday appointed two joint secretaries and two joint directors to the National Testing Agency (NTA), which has come under scrutiny over the alleged NEET-UG paper leak controversy.According to an order issued by the Personnel Ministry, Anuja Bapat, a 1998-batch officer of the Indian Statistical Service, and Ruchita Vij, a 2004-batch officer of the Indian Revenue Service (Customs and Indirect Taxes), have been appointed as joint secretaries in the agency for a five-year term, as per PTI.In a separate order, the ministry said Akash Jain of the Indian Revenue Service (Income Tax) and Aditya Rajendra Bhojgadhiya of the Indian Audit and Accounts Service have been appointed as joint directors in the NTA for tenures upto 4 December, 2029 and 16 May, 2028, respectively.NEET-UG paper leak case latest updatesA Pune-based college said on Saturday that disciplinary proceedings would be initiated against biology lecturer Manisha Gurunath Mandhare following her arrest by the Central Bureau Of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case.Mandhare, who served on the NTA's paper-setting committee for the NEET-UG conducted on May 3, was arrested after being interrogated at the agency’s headquarters in New Delhi."Mandhare has been working in the junior college section since 2002 and was teaching biology to students of Classes 11 and 12 for the last 24 years. Considering her teaching experience, Mandhare was appointed by National Testing Agency for certain confidential work related to the NEET examination process," the Modern College of Arts, Science and Commerce stated, reported PTI.The Pune-based college mentioned that the work entrusted to Manisha Gurunath Mandhare by the NTA was “completely confidential in nature", with all communication and instructions exchanged directly between the agency and the individual concerned.As a result, neither the college administration nor its parent institution had any direct involvement in the process, Principal Nivedita Ekbote said in the statement.'Kingpin' Kulkarni, accused Waghmare sent to 10-day CBI custodyA Delhi court on Saturday remanded the alleged mastermind of the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case, PV Kulkarni, along with co-accused Manisha Waghmare, to 10 days of custody with the CBI.Special CBI Judge Ajay Gupta passed the order after the agency informed the court that the two accused needed to be taken outside New Delhi for further investigation and that the broader conspiracy behind the alleged leak was still being examined, as per the report.Appearing for the agency, Special Public Prosecutor Neetu Gupta sought a 14-day custodial remand to facilitate their interrogation.During the hearing, the CBI told the court that Kulkarni was a subject expert who had been involved in preparing the 2026 NEET-UG question paper. The agency further alleged that co-accused Dhananjay Lokhande had obtained the leaked material from Waghmare.The CBI has lodged a case and constituted special teams to investigate the alleged leak of the NEET-UG question paper, which led to the cancellation of the examination conducted on May 3.About 23 lakh candidates had enrolled for the medical entrance test, which was conducted nationwide by the NTA.According to NTA, it received information about the alleged malpractice on the evening of May 7, four days after the examination was conducted.Meanwhile, the re-examination for NEET-UG is scheduled to take place on June 21.Ab
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