In a major breakthrough in the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak scandal, the Central Bureau of Investigation has arrested an NTA-appointed senior Botany teacher from Pune, Manisha Gurunath Mandhare, who is suspected to be one of the masterminds behind the Biology paper leak.
Mandhare is the second Pune-based educator arrested in the case after Chemistry professor P.V. Kulkarni. According to the CBI, she had complete access to the Biology question paper as part of the examination process conducted by the National Testing Agency.
Investigators alleged that Mandhare, along with consultant Manisha Wagmare, conducted special coaching sessions for selected NEET aspirants at her Pune residence in April 2026. During these classes, students were reportedly asked to note down Biology questions that later matched a majority of questions in the actual NEET-UG 2026 paper conducted on May 3 and subsequently cancelled.
The CBI said searches conducted across six locations led to the seizure of laptops, mobile phones, bank documents and other incriminating material. So far, nine accused have been arrested from multiple cities, including Delhi, Jaipur, Gurugram, Pune and Nashik. Investigators claimed the racket involved middlemen who allegedly charged students lakhs of rupees to access leaked questions through special coaching classes.
Meanwhile, the controversy has reached the Supreme Court of India, where a writ petition has been filed seeking a complete overhaul of the NTA following the cancellation of NEET-UG 2026. The plea alleged "systemic failure" in conducting the examination and demanded dissolution of the NTA in its current form as a society registered under the Societies Registration Act.
The petition argued that repeated paper leaks violated students' fundamental rights under Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution and exposed the failure of safeguards introduced after previous controversies. It also cited investigations by Rajasthan Police's Special Operations Group, which reportedly found that a handwritten "guess paper" containing around 410 questions had circulated through WhatsApp and Telegram nearly 42 hours before the examination.
According to the plea, forensic analysis revealed that 90 Biology questions and 45 Chemistry questions matched the actual exam paper. The leaked material was allegedly sold for amounts ranging from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 25 lakh through a multi-state network spanning Maharashtra, Haryana and Kerala.
The petition further criticised the NTA's legal structure, claiming it lacks direct parliamentary accountability unlike bodies such as the UPSC or SSC. It also argued that recommendations made after earlier paper leak controversies — including shifting exams to computer-based models and digitally securing question papers — were not fully implemented.
Amid mounting criticism, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan announced that NEET examinations will move to a computer-based format from next year. He described the controversy as part of a larger battle against the "education mafia" and admitted there had been a "breakdown somewhere in the chain of command."
Pradhan confirmed that the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination will be held on June 21. Admit cards will be issued by June 14, while students will be allowed to choose their preferred examination city. He also announced that candidates would receive an additional 15 minutes for filling OMR details and clarified that no extra examination fee would be charged for the re-test.
(With inputs from IANS)
