The controversy surrounding the NEET-UG 2026 exam has entered a new phase, with the National Testing Agency (NTA) warning of legal action against candidates who submit fake or AI-generated OMR sheets, even as fresh complaints about alleged discrepancies from aspirants continue to emerge across the country.The latest developments follow the OMR viewing and challenge window, which remained open from 13-15 July (until 11:00). During this period, candidates could view, download and challenge their scanned OMR answer sheets and recorded answers through the official portal. While several candidates used the facility to flag alleged discrepancies, the NTA says its probe has already found tampering in some of the documents submitted for scrutiny.
NTA probe finds tampered OMR sheets
The agency said it has been closely scrutinizing complaints received after the OMR window. According to the NTA, investigations into two high-profile cases found that one OMR sheet was “completely AI-generated” while another had been tampered with.After the investigation, the agency issued a public notice on its official handle X, stating that many OMR sheets submitted for verification had turned out to be fake or AI-generated. He advised students and parents to submit only original OMR sheets for scrutiny, adding that any fake or AI-generated document could invite legal action against the complainant.The findings relate to two cases that had drawn attention after candidates alleged significant differences between their expected and declared scores.
New complaints continue to emerge
Despite the agency’s statement, several candidates have continued to raise concerns over alleged discrepancies between the OMR sheets available on the official portal and the answers they claim to have marked during the examination.One of the most detailed complaints has come from candidate Ibtesham Nasar, who posted a series of messages to X on July 17. The candidate alleged that the uploaded OMR sheet contained bubble filling pattern different from the one marked during the examination. According to the posts, 12 questions which were intentionally left unanswered appeared as attempts in the uploaded OMR.The candidate claimed that the uploaded OMR was compared with the answers marked on the question paper during the examination and a large number of answers did not match. The candidate also claimed to have challenged almost all the disputed answers, paying Rs 27,800 in challenge fees at a rate of Rs 200 per question, and said no response had been received from the NTA at the time of publication. Further, the candidate requested verification of the original OMR physical sheet and an investigation into the possibility of OMR discrepancy or exchange.Another complaint surfaced on Reddit, where a candidate claimed that the OMR sheet downloaded from the official NTA portal appeared complete and correctly reflected all attempted answers. However, the candidate later received an emailed OMR attachment which, despite carrying the correct personal details, allegedly showed only a partial set of attempted questions. The candidate said that the Physics section reflected about five attempted questions instead of 37, while the Chemistry section showed about 20 attempted questions instead of 44.
A separate complaint emerged from Uttar Pradesh involving candidate Avnish Srivastava. According to the candidate’s father, the OMR sheet received through email had the name of another candidate, Ajit Singh. The father said a formal representation had been made to the NTA and the agency had acknowledged the complaint and indicated the matter would be looked into.Unlike the two cases where the NTA’s investigation concluded that the submitted OMR sheets were AI-generated or tampered with, these newer complaints have yet to receive a publicly disclosed final determination by the examining authority.
The OMR challenge process has ended
The OMR viewing facility formed a standalone stage of the NEET-UG 2026 examination process, allowing candidates to download scanned answer sheets and recorded answers before raising objections.With the challenge window now closed, attention has shifted to the agency’s scrutiny of complaints. Although the NTA has concluded that some documents submitted during the process were tampered with, several candidates continue to demand verification of their OMR sheets, with some complaints still awaiting a public response from the examining authority.