The investigation into the NEET UG 2026 exam paper leak has unveiled a significant breach of academic integrity, revealing that both the primary and reserved question papers were compromised. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) determined that the leak originated from the National Testing Agency's (NTA) paper-setting committee. Arrests included two key experts, PV Kulkarni, a retired chemistry professor, and Manisha Gurunath Mandhare, a senior botany teacher, who exploited their access to the question pool. They conducted secret coaching sessions where they dictated exam questions to select students, who then transcribed them into notebooks. This information was subsequently digitized and circulated as a “guess paper,” leading to a staggering 135 questions matching the actual exam. The leak was reported by a whistleblower, prompting a swift investigation that resulted in 13 arrests across multiple states. The scale of the leak has necessitated the cancellation of the May 3 exam for 2.3 million medical aspirants, with a re-exam scheduled for June 21. The financial implications were significant, with students reportedly paying between ₹2 lakh to ₹5 lakh for access to the leaked materials.