NEET UG paper leak: Over 250 MBBS students face action over paper leak, admissions cancelled, exams barred

In a major move against malpractice in medical entrance exams, the Indian government has taken strict action against more than 250 students and aspirants linked to the NEET UG 2023 paper leak. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is currently probing the case, and based on their findings, several students have faced serious consequences.

The National Medical Commission (NMC), which is responsible for regulating medical education in India, has cancelled the admissions of at least 14 students who enrolled in MBBS courses for the academic year 2024-25. These students were found to have used leaked question papers or engaged in impersonation during the exam. Additionally, the exam participation of another 215 aspirants has been put on hold while investigations continue.

Furthermore, 26 MBBS students who were already studying in medical colleges have been suspended for helping others cheat. The NMC has directed the concerned medical colleges to act on this immediately and suspend these students.

As part of disciplinary action, 42 students have been barred from appearing in the NEET UG exam for three years — 2024, 2025, and 2026. Another nine candidates have been banned for two years, meaning they cannot take the exam in 2024 and 2025.

The controversy surrounding the NEET UG 2023 exam began last year when the results showed that 67 students had scored a perfect 720 out of 720 — an unusually high number. Doubts were raised further when some candidates scored 719, which is not mathematically possible with NEET's marking system (4 marks for every correct answer and a penalty of 1 mark for every wrong answer).

This triggered a larger investigation, revealing that 1,563 students had been given grace marks due to loss of time during the exam. Another group received grace marks because one of the questions had a misleading answer in earlier CBSE textbooks. These grace marks were later withdrawn, and the affected students were offered a re-test.

Soon after, allegations of a paper leak surfaced. While the government admitted that some centres were involved, it claimed the leak was limited in scope and did not justify re-conducting the exam nationwide.

The case remains under investigation, but the recent actions send a strong message: the authorities are cracking down on unfair practices in one of India’s most competitive entrance exams.