Tuesday 12 / May / 2026
MUSCAT: More than 300 students from Oman have been affected after India’s National Testing Agency (NTA) cancelled the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate)—NEET UG 2026—conducted on May 3, following allegations of a question paper leak.
Officials confirmed that over 300 candidates from Oman had appeared for the examination on May 3, which is the primary gateway for admission into MBBS, BDS and other undergraduate medical programmes in India.
The cancellation follows an investigation launched by the Rajasthan Special Operations Group (SOG) into suspected malpractice linked to the examination. The Government of India has also referred the matter to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for a comprehensive inquiry.
In a statement, the NTA said the decision was taken after reviewing inputs received in coordination with central agencies and law enforcement authorities.
“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 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 added that the “present examination process could not be allowed to stand.”
The NTA said candidate registration details and examination centres selected for the May 2026 cycle would remain valid for the re-test. Students will not be required to register again or pay any additional fee.
“In addition, fees already paid will be refunded to the students, and the exam will be re-conducted using NTA’s internal resources,” the statement added.
Fresh examination dates and revised admit card schedules are expected to be announced through official channels in the coming days.
The NTA acknowledged the inconvenience caused to students and parents, but stressed that the move was necessary to protect the credibility of the examination system.
“The decision has been taken because the alternative would have caused greater and more lasting damage to that trust,” the statement noted.
NEET UG 2026 was conducted in pen-and-paper mode across more than 5,400 centres in 551 cities across India and 14 cities abroad, including Oman. Around 2.279 million students appeared for the examination worldwide.
