The National Testing Agency (NTA) has yet again landed in a soup after allegations of a question paper leak surfaced on Thursday in the UGC-NET 2026 examination. The candidates who took the exam alleged that an organised network had gained prior access to question papers and coached aspirants on the leaked aspirants before the exam commenced.
The allegations have triggered renewed concern among teaching aspirants, with many demanding an independent digital forensic probe into the authenticity of the purported leaked material and its similarity to the examination papers held on June 29 and 30, 2026.
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Student leaders level allegations via videos shared publicly
Several student leaders based out of Haryana, Deepak Dhankhar and Ankit Singh Phogat levelled serious allegations concerning the Sociology paper, claiming that the question papers scheduled for June 29 and 30 were leaked hours before the exam began.
In a video shared publicly, Dhankhar displayed what he claimed was the Sociology question paper and alleged that candidates were coached on two separate sets of questions before the examination. As per the claims, one set comprising 100 questions allegedly matched the actual paper conducted by the NTA/
Students added to the allegations, saying that a seven to eight-member network, reportedly operating from states such as Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Delhi, conducted overnight coaching sessions for candidates using the leaked material. They claimed the group charged as much as Rs 2.25 lakh per candidate for letting them access the alleged questions and purportedly promised similar assistance for upcoming recruitment examinations, including CSIR-NET, HTET, and ADA, after the conclusion of UGC NET 2026.
Purported PDF puts confidentiality into spotlight
An alleged leaked PDF accessed by various media organisations contains what appears to be the NTA’s internal question-setting template used during the paper preparation process.
The document allegedly includes handwritten entries detailing information like ‘submitted by’ and ‘moderated by’ fields, complete with initials and dates, suggesting a two-stage internal vetting mechanism.
Leaked PDF pages in question
As per sources, such detailed documentation is ordinarily accessible only to the NTA’s confidential paper-setting panel, prompting concerns over the integrity and security of the exam process.
Candidates raise calls for fair digital forensic probe
Amid the allegations, the nation’s teaching aspirants have called for an official comparison of the alleged leaked material with the original exam papers administered on June 29 and 30.
Candidates who took UGC NET 2026 exam
Students too have urged the NTA to initiate an independent digital forensic probe to establish whether confidential examination material was compromised before the test. As demands for a transparent inquiry intensify, the NTA has not yet issued an official statement addressing the allegations.