India’s most competitive medical entrance exam just became the epicenter of its biggest academic scandal in years. The NEET UG 2026 examination taken by approximately 24 lakh students on May 3, 2026 has been cancelled for the first time in history. The Central Bureau of Investigation has made multiple arrests, and one name that has surfaced prominently is Manisha Gurunath Mandhare a Botany teacher from Pune who is now in CBI custody for allegedly leaking the Biology question paper.
This isn’t just a news story. It’s a crisis that has left millions of medical aspirants, their families, and India’s entire healthcare pipeline in a state of shock and anger.
What Happened With NEET UG EXAM 2026?
The NEET UG 2026 examination was conducted on May 3, 2026, by the National Testing Agency (NTA) across the country.
The first red flag appeared in Latur, Maharashtra. Parents filed written complaints stating that 42 questions from a mock test conducted by a private coaching institute matched exactly with the actual NEET UG 2026 exam questions. Latur Police investigated the coaching institute and immediately brought the CBI into the picture.
Simultaneously, a Sikar-based MBBS student allegedly shared a PDF of a so-called “guess paper” with his father on May 2 a day before the exam. The father, who runs a PG accommodation facility in Sikar, reportedly circulated the document further to a Chemistry and a Biology teacher who identified the similarities in the questions.
That set off a chain reaction. The Rajasthan Police Special Operations Group (SOG) found a guess paper with over 100 questions similar to the actual NEET UG 2026 paper. The CBI was handed the investigation. The Government of India cancelled the examination on May 12, 2026.
How Did the Paper Spread?
The investigation found that the leaked papers were circulated through WhatsApp and Telegram groups ahead of the NEET UG 2026 examination. As the investigation widened, Rajasthan SOG and later the CBI uncovered what officials described as a multi-state network involving students, coaching-linked persons and middlemen. The alleged leak reportedly spread from Kerala and Rajasthan to Haryana, Maharashtra, Bihar, Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir, and other states.
Who Is Manisha Gurunath Mandhare?
The Central Bureau of Investigation arrested a Botany teacher from Pune in connection with the NEET UG 2026 Biology paper leak case. The accused, identified as Manisha Gurunath Mandhare, was arrested from Delhi after being questioned by the CBI.
Investigators believe she played a direct role in leaking the Biology section of the NEET UG 2026 paper the very subject she taught. Her arrest from Delhi, rather than Pune, suggests she had moved locations before the CBI caught up with her, which only adds to the seriousness of the charges.
Why Her Arrest Matters
The Biology paper leak is considered one of the most damaging elements of the entire scandal because Biology carries significant weightage in NEET UG scoring. A leak in this section alone could have given implicated students a decisive advantage at the direct expense of honest candidates who prepared for months or years.
Who Is the Alleged Kingpin PV Kulkarni?
The Central Bureau of Investigation arrested the alleged kingpin behind the NEET UG 2026 examination paper leak case. The accused has been identified as P V Kulkarni, a Chemistry lecturer who was involved in the examination process on behalf of the National Testing Agency for years and had access to the question papers.
This is the detail that makes the scandal particularly alarming Kulkarni was not an outsider. He was an NTA insider who had earned enough trust to be involved in the examination process itself.
During the last week of April 2026, Kulkarni allegedly gathered students who paid sums of money and conducted special coaching classes at his residence in Pune. During these classes, he allegedly dictated questions, answer options and correct answers to the students, who wrote them down in their notebooks. According to the CBI, the handwritten questions exactly matched the actual NEET UG 2026 question paper conducted on May 3.
Who Else Has Been Arrested?
Seven accused persons were arrested from Jaipur, Gurugram, Nashik, Pune, and Ahilyanagar in connection with the case. Kulkarni’s arrest brings the total number of accused nabbed in the case to eight.
Additionally, Manisha Sanjay Waghmare a woman from Pune’s Bibwewadi area who formerly ran a beauty parlour was taken into custody. During investigation, it came to light that she had been in contact with the accused for the past three years, and there were documented financial transactions between them.
In Rajasthan, 15 arrests have been reported including the alleged mastermind Manish Yadav. Nearly 45 people have been detained or questioned across the country so far.
CBI Investigation What’s Happening Right Now?
The CBI has conducted raids at 14 locations in the last 24 hours, seizing incriminating documents, electronic gadgets, and mobile phones. Detailed forensic and technical analysis of the seized items is ongoing. Five accused have already been produced before the court and remanded to seven days of police custody for detailed interrogation.
The agency is currently tracing every link in the chain from who first accessed the question paper, to how it was distributed, to who collected money from students.
A senior CBI official confirmed that mobile conversations between accused and financial transactions worth lakhs of rupees have been recovered. The investigation points to a well-organized, multi-state operation not a one-off incident.
NEET UG 2026 Cancelled What Happens to Students?
The National Testing Agency, on May 12, 2026, declared the cancellation of the examination held on May 3 and announced that a re-exam will be held. NTA stated: “The National Testing Agency, with the approval of the Government of India, has decided to cancel the NEET (UG) 2026 examination conducted on May 3, 2026, and to re-conduct the examination.”
The NEET UG 2026 re-exam will now be held on June 21 from 2:00 PM to 5:15 PM.
All students who appeared in the original May 3 exam will be required to re-appear. No new registrations will be accepted for the re-exam. Students are advised to keep checking the official NTA website nta.ac.in for admit card release dates and centre allotment details.
Impact on Medical Aspirants Across India
This scandal has consequences that go far beyond legal proceedings. Consider this: over 24 lakh students studied for months some for years for NEET UG 2026. They paid for coaching, gave up sleep, skipped celebrations, and bet their entire academic future on one exam. Then it was cancelled because some people decided their greed mattered more.
The anger is completely justified. And the demand for accountability from the NTA, from the government, and from everyone in the chain is entirely reasonable.
Honest students who cleared the exam on merit now face uncertainty about whether their scores will ever be recognized. That uncertainty is the real cost of this scandal.
FAQ : NEET UG 2026 Paper Leak
Q1. Was the NEET UG 2026 exam cancelled?
Yes. The NTA officially cancelled the NEET UG 2026 examination on May 12, 2026, due to confirmed allegations of paper leak across multiple states.
Q2. When is the NEET UG 2026 re-exam?
The re-exam is scheduled for June 21, 2026, from 2:00 PM to 5:15 PM. Students should check nta.ac.in for admit card and centre details.
Q3. Who is Manisha Gurunath Mandhare?
She is a Botany teacher from Pune who was arrested by the CBI from Delhi in connection with the alleged leak of the Biology question paper in NEET UG 2026.
Q4. Who is the alleged kingpin in the NEET UG 2026 leak case?
PV Kulkarni a Chemistry lecturer from Latur, Maharashtra has been identified by the CBI as the alleged mastermind. He had long-term access to NTA examination processes and allegedly dictated actual exam questions to students at his residence in Pune.
Q5. How many people have been arrested so far?
As of May 15, 2026, at least 8 people have been formally arrested by the CBI from Jaipur, Gurugram, Nashik, Pune, and Ahilyanagar. An additional 15 arrests have been reported in Rajasthan. Nearly 45 people have been detained or questioned across the country.
