Last Updated:June 05, 2026, 11:53 IST

Digvijaya Singh urges PM Modi to issue a white paper on NTA exam paper leaks, citing NEET UG 2026 cancellation and demanding transparency to restore student trust.

Congress leader Digvijaya Singh is also the chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports. (PTI/File)

Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to issue a white paper on alleged paper leaks and irregularities in examinations conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) over the last eight years, saying such transparency is essential to restore students’ faith in the system.

In a letter addressed to the Prime Minister, Singh, who chairs the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports, said lakhs of students are under intense pressure following the cancellation of the NEET-UG 2026 examination and deserve clarity on how previous cases of irregularities have been handled.

“I am writing to you to raise a very important concern which several students have relayed to me in the last few weeks. At a time when the cancellation of the NEET-UG 2026 examination has wreaked havoc on the mental health of lakhs of students, one critical stressor for them has been the lack of clarity on how previous paper leaks, etc. have been investigated,” Singh wrote.

The Rajya Sabha MP noted that there is currently no consolidated public record of paper leak cases and their prosecution by the CBI and other central and state investigative agencies. In the absence of official information, he said, reports and rumours have filled the vacuum.

Citing examples, Singh said he had received repeated complaints that the main accused in the NEET-UG 2024 paper leak case in Hazaribagh, Sanjeev Kumar alias Mukhiya, is reportedly out on bail. He also pointed out that the CBI has reportedly filed a closure report stating that no irregularities occurred in the UGC-NET exam of 2024, which had earlier been cancelled by the NTA.

Singh added that when a Delhi court asked the CBI to submit a written explanation for its closure report in the UGC-NET matter, the agency sought more time. This delay, he said, has further damaged students’ confidence.

“To inspire renewed confidence in the administration’s ability and willingness to deliver justice to India’s students, I therefore propose that the Government of India issue a white paper documenting the list of instances of paper leaks and/or irregularities which have occurred in NTA-conducted examinations in the last eight years,” he said.

The proposed white paper, according to Singh, should detail the action taken by the NTA and investigative agencies in each case, including the names of those arrested. It should also specify the status of every investigation — whether ongoing or completed — and clarify if a chargesheet or closure report has been filed.

He further suggested that the white paper explain the reasons for filing any closure report and provide a status update on each accused person, including whether they are on trial, on bail, or convicted.

“At a time when lakhs of students are under heavy pressure, it is critical that we reinforce their faith in the system. Such transparency will act as a confidence-building measure among our youth,” Singh wrote in his letter dated June 4, adding that he trusted the Prime Minister would give urgent attention to the issues raised.

The NEET (UG) 2026 exam, conducted by the NTA on May 3, was cancelled on May 12 following allegations of a paper leak, which is now under investigation by the CBI. A re-examination has been scheduled for June 21.

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