A Timeline of NEET UG 2026 Paper Leak
Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan resigned on July 25, ending a three-month standoff between the government and students protesting over the leak of the National Eligibility for Undergraduate Entrance Test (NEET-UG) 2026 paper. The resignation came after weeks of demonstrations led by a group calling itself the Partit de les Paneroles Janta (CJP), which started as an online joke and became one of the most visible youth protest movements in the country.The crisis dates back to a single exam day in May. What followed was a chain of events involving the National Testing Agency (NTA), the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the Supreme Court and finally thousands of protesters on the streets of Delhi.
CJP Jantar Mantar Protest Updates
It all started with a tutor’s comparison of a leaked PDF with the NEET-UG paper, a comment in the courtroom that sparked a protest party, and eventually a minister’s resignation.Here are the events of the last three months.The examination and noticeNEET-UG 2026 was conducted on May 3 across the country for admission to MBBS, BDS and allied medical courses. More than 22 lakh candidates appeared, making it the largest medical entrance exam in India.Days after the exam, Rajasthan tutor Shashikant Suthar said he compared a viral ‘picture paper’ PDF with the NEET-UG 2026 paper seen by his students. He found that many questions, especially in Chemistry, match exactly. According to his account, he reported the matter to the NTA, the CBI and the Ministry of Education. Officials began internal verification and the probe was later handed over to the CBI.Cancellation and retestOn May 12, the NTA canceled NEET-UG 2026 after researchers found substantial overlap between the leaked PDF and the actual paper. The government ordered a CBI inquiry and announced a nationwide re-test for all affected candidates. It was the first complete cancellation of NEET-UG since the NTA took charge of its conduct in 2019. A similar leak controversy had emerged during NEET-UG 2024, but this exam was not canceled across the country.The re-examination was held on June 21 for candidates whose previous attempt was cancelled. The NTA said that almost all the more than 22 lakh affected candidates appeared for the re-test.A commentary in the room and a satirical partyOn May 16, during an unrelated Supreme Court hearing, a comment by Justice Surya Kant was widely interpreted online as demeaning young unemployed people. Critics have accused him of comparing them to “cockroaches”, although the Court later clarified that the comment was taken out of context.On the same day, a student’s satirical social media post proposed a “Janta Cockroach Party” for angry jobless aspirants. The hashtag quickly spread online.On May 22, according to CBI custody documents and media reports, investigators arrested a school principal from Pune who had previously served as an expert on NTA matters. It was alleged that he reconstructed questions from memory after the exam, shared them with others and then tried to destroy evidence.From joke to movementBy the end of May, a small group of student organizers, including Abhijeet Dipke, had become the main faces of the loose collective now called CJP. The satire turned into a coordinated campaign demanding accountability, exam reforms and Pradhan’s resignation.In early June, the CJP held its first major demonstrations in Delhi, with Jantar Mantar becoming the focal point. The movement began to attract aspirants who were also preparing for other examinations.In late June, senior Union ministers opened talks with student spokespersons linked to the CJP. The discussions failed to make a breakthrough, and the protesters reiterated that Pradhan’s resignation remained their central demand.On June 28, activist Sonam Wangchuk visited the protest site and announced a solidarity fast with the students, giving the movement national visibility beyond the education sector.The protests spreadBy early July, the movement had spread to several states. Student groups, opposition leaders and civil society organizations joined the demonstrations demanding accountability for the exam system and reforms to public procurement tests.On 20 July, thousands of protesters attempted to march towards Parliament in Delhi. The police stopped the march with tear gas and baton charges and arrested several demonstrators. Images of the crackdown circulated widely, generating allegations of police brutality.On July 21, police dismantled the protest camp during the night. The protesters rebuilt it in a few hours. Many returned despite injuries from the previous day’s clashes.During July 22 and 23, the movement continued to grow despite administrative actions, including restrictions on some of its main social media channels. Student leaders accused the authorities of trying to suppress the campaign, while demonstrations continued in Delhi and other cities.Reforms are announced, protests continueOn July 24, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced further reforms in the exams in a late-night video posted on social media. The measures included fast-track courts and tougher punishments for syndicates of paper leaks. He reiterated that investigations will continue.The protesters refused to end their agitation. They insisted that ministerial responsibility, not just administrative reforms, was necessary.The resignationOn July 25, Pradhan resigned. He defended the government’s handling of the crisis, citing the CBI probe, the cancellation of the May 3 exam and the completion of the new test. He promised deeper reforms to restore confidence in national exams.In his resignation letter, Pradhan indicated that the government will work to shift NEET to a computerized format from 2027 onwards, though the detailed modalities are yet to be notified.At Jantar Mantar, protesters celebrated the resignation. Spokesmen for the CJP met Union Ministers Jitendra Singh and JP Nadda and announced the immediate withdrawal of the protests from the site, saying they had been assured that their demands would be met.