‘She was a very normal teacher’: CBI arrests another professor from Pune in NEET-UG paper leak case
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested a senior botany professor from Pune — who had been appointed as a domain expert by the National Testing Agency (NTA) — in connection with the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case.
The arrested professor had been given access to botany and zoology question papers as part of her official NTA assignment and is alleged to have leaked the paper.
Earlier, the CBI had arrested a chemistry domain expert from Latur who allegedly hosted private coaching sessions at his residence in the last week of April, where he dictated leaked questions, options, and answers to select students before the exam on May 3, 2026.
The accused reportedly charged lakhs of rupees from students for access to the leaked questions.
Following the scandal, the NEET-UG 2026 examination was cancelled and the NTA announced a re-examination scheduled for June 21, 2026.
National Testing Agency (NTA) — Structure and Mandate
The National Testing Agency (NTA) is an autonomous body established in November 2017 under the Ministry of Education (formerly Ministry of Human Resources Development). It was set up to relieve the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) of the burden of conducting major national-level entrance examinations. NTA conducts NEET-UG (medical admissions), JEE Main (engineering admissions), CUET-UG (central university admissions), UGC-NET, and several other examinations.
Key Details
- Established: November 2017; operational from 2018–19
- Parent ministry: Ministry of Education (formerly HRD)
- Status: Autonomous, registered as a Society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860
- Major exams: NEET-UG, JEE Main, CUET-UG, UGC-NET, CMAT, GPAT
- NEET-UG 2026 was conducted on May 3, 2026 for admissions to MBBS, BDS, and AYUSH courses
- The NTA appoints domain experts — subject matter specialists — to set question papers; this is a critical access-control point in exam security
The NTA's expert-appointment mechanism — intended to ensure academic quality — became the vulnerability exploited in the 2026 paper leak, with appointed domain experts allegedly leaking papers before the examination.
Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024
The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 — commonly called the anti-paper leak law — came into force on June 21, 2024. It was enacted to address growing concerns about organised cheating, impersonation, and paper leaks in national-level public examinations conducted by bodies like NTA, UPSC, SSC, and banking regulators. The CBI is filing FIRs under this Act alongside the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, and the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
Key Details
- Enacted: 2024; in force from June 21, 2024
- Applies to: examinations conducted by NTA, UPSC, SSC, IBPS, RRB, and other specified bodies
- Offences covered: unauthorised access/leakage of question paper or answer key, impersonation, tampering with computer systems, fake admit cards/offer letters
- Penalties for general offences: 3–5 years imprisonment + fine up to ₹10 lakh
- Penalties for organised crime: 5–10 years imprisonment + fine of at least ₹1 crore
- Service providers implicated in malpractice: fine up to ₹1 crore + cost recovery
- Institutional offenders: property attachment and forfeiture
The arrested professors face charges under this Act, making this one of the first major prosecutions under the anti-paper leak law for NEET. The "organised crime" provisions — carrying 5–10 year sentences — are likely to apply given the scale of the alleged operation.
CBI Jurisdiction and the Prevention of Corruption Act
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is India's premier federal investigating agency, operating under the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946, and supervised by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) under the Ministry of Personnel. The CBI's jurisdiction extends to cases involving public servants, central government employees, and matters of national importance or inter-state ramifications. In exam fraud cases, charges are filed under the Public Examinations Act 2024, BNS (successor to the Indian Penal Code), and the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA) 1988 when public servants or government-appointed experts are involved.
Key Details
- CBI establishment: Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946
- CBI oversight: Ministry of Personnel, DoPT; independent director appointed on recommendation of collegium (PM + Leader of Opposition + CJI)
- Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA), 1988: governs bribery and corruption by public servants
- Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023: replaced IPC from July 1, 2024
- NTA domain experts appointed by the government are considered public servants for PCA purposes when conducting official duties
The CBI's involvement (rather than state police) is appropriate given NEET's all-India character and multi-state ramifications. The use of PCA alongside the anti-paper leak law signals that the alleged offence is being treated as corruption by government-appointed functionaries.
NEET and the Right to Education / Access to Higher Education
NEET-UG is the single, uniform entrance test for admission to medical colleges across India (both government and private). It was made mandatory for all medical colleges following the Supreme Court's ruling in Christian Medical College, Vellore v. Union of India (2020), which upheld the government's power to prescribe a common entrance test under the Clinical Establishments Act framework and the MCI Act. Access to medical education — particularly through NEET — has significant equity implications, as coaching-dependent preparation advantages students from wealthier urban backgrounds.
Key Details
- NEET was made the single medical entrance exam from 2016 (MBBS) and 2020 (BDS)
- Governed under the National Medical Commission (NMC) Act, 2020 (replaced the Medical Council of India Act, 1956)
- Total MBBS seats in India (approx.): 1.08 lakh (government + private as of 2024)
- NEET-UG 2026 scheduled: May 3, 2026; re-examination: June 21, 2026 (after cancellation)
- Paper leaks disproportionately disadvantage students who cannot afford insider access, exacerbating educational inequality
The cancellation and rescheduling of NEET-UG 2026 directly affects lakhs of students who prepared for months; the leak undermines the meritocratic premise of a common entrance examination that was itself introduced to ensure fairness.
- Exam affected: NEET-UG 2026 (conducted May 3, 2026)
- NEET-UG 2026 cancelled; re-exam scheduled: June 21, 2026
- CBI statutory basis: Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946
- Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 — in force from June 21, 2024
- Penalty for organised paper leak offence: 5–10 years + fine ≥ ₹1 crore
- Penalty for general paper leak offence: 3–5 years + fine up to ₹10 lakh
- NTA established: November 2017; under Ministry of Education
- NTA status: Autonomous body under Societies Registration Act, 1860
- Prevention of Corruption Act: 1988 (with amendments)
- BNS (Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita) 2023: replaced IPC, in force from July 1, 2024
- NMC Act, 2020: governs medical education (replaced MCI Act, 1956)
- Total approx. MBBS seats in India: ~1.08 lakh (government + private)