The NTA also explained that in all of these five cases the OMR sheets were “digitally regenerated” from that of the candidate’s own genuine copies.

In the case of Lakshya Snigh, the notice stated, “The image being circulated shows response markings that are not present on the genuine sheet. Additional bubbles have been shaded in by digital means to create a forged OMR sheet.”

Similarly, in the case of Arya Singh who had alleged unexpected change of marks, the NTA responded saying, “The image being circulated is a digitally altered version of that same sheet. The recorded time of signature of one of the invigilators has been changed from 3:45 PM on the genuine sheet to 2:45 PM on the altered image. There are several other markings of digital alteration on the forged OMR sheet.”

Why did the NTA issue this clarification?

In its official notice, the NTA said it received multiple representations after the declaration of NEET-UG 2026 results. Candidates or people claiming to represent them alleged that the OMR sheets uploaded against their roll numbers either did not belong to them, had been interchanged or reflected far fewer attempted answers than what they claimed to have marked. Some also sought re-evaluation based on images they submitted as the “correct” OMR sheets.

The agency said it examined every such representation individually. According to the NTA, in every case reviewed so far, the official records remained consistent. It said the genuine OMR sheets available with the agency carried the correct roll number, booklet number, barcode, candidate details, signatures, thumb impression and invigilators’ signatures. The declared scores matched the official answer key and evaluation records. It added that the documents submitted with such complaints were found to be fabricated.

What did aspirant Arya Singh allege?

Among the candidates raising concerns is Kanpur’s Arya Singh, who has publicly questioned her NEET-UG 2026 result.

According to Arya, the OMR sheet uploaded by the NTA on July 13 initially had an incorrect question order. After matching her responses, she claimed that her expected score should have been 609 marks and submitted an objection through the official challenge portal.

She alleges that although the NTA later uploaded a revised OMR sheet with the corrected question sequence, the marks shown still remained incorrect.

Arya further claims that when the re-NEET results were declared on the night of July 16, the portal initially showed her score as 540 marks. According to her, the score later changed to 167 marks after the family continued refreshing the website.

The score currently displayed on the NTA portal shows 167 marks along with an All India Rank of 12,52,036. She has described the issue as either a technical glitch or an evaluation error and said she has submitted complaints to both the NTA and the Ministry of Education with screenshots and other supporting documents.

What kind of manipulation has the NTA identified?

The NTA in its notice has said it has identified multiple methods through which fake examination documents were allegedly created, although not separately commenting on the issue of Kanpur’s Arya.

According to the agency, one method involved using AI-based image tools to digitally regenerate the printed sections of OMR sheets. Another involved digitally overwriting candidate details such as names, signatures and thumb impressions while keeping the barcode and answer bubbles unchanged.

It also flagged cases where marks or response counts on downloaded scorecards were digitally altered without changing the embedded QR code or barcode. In some instances, fabricated OMR sheets even contained fictitious candidate identities that did not match any registered NEET-UG 2026 candidate.

The agency said every genuine OMR sheet and scorecard contains unique identifiers, including barcodes, booklet numbers and QR codes, which can be verified against secure records maintained by the NTA and the National Informatics Centre (NIC). It said a fabricated image may appear genuine but cannot alter the official records stored on its servers.

What has the NTA warned candidates and parents?

The agency has advised candidates, parents and guardians to submit only original documents issued through the official NTA portal while raising grievances.

It warned that creating, possessing, submitting or circulating fabricated, digitally altered or AI-generated OMR sheets, scorecards or other examination documents constitutes a cognisable offence under the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024.

The NTA further said it may initiate legal proceedings not only against candidates but also against third parties found to have prepared, supplied or circulated forged documents. It clarified that no re-evaluation or revision of results would be carried out on the basis of fabricated images.

However, candidates with genuine grievances can approach the agency through the prescribed helpdesk by quoting their application number, roll number and details of the discrepancy.

NTA warning on digitally manipulated images being sent for scrutiny saw Aam Aadmi Party national convenor and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal questioning the Union government over the conduct of the re-NEET examination.

He alleged that several students had reported discrepancies in uploaded OMR sheets and mismatches between their responses and the final scores, adding that non-redressal or dismissal adds to the existing pressure of appearing for a re-NEET.

Meanwhile, the controversy unfolded even as Delhi witnessed continuing protests by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). On the 23rd day of its protest, thousands of demonstrators attempted to march towards Parliament but were stopped by police barricades near Sansad Marg, leading to brief scuffles between protesters and security personnel, as being reported by The Indian Express.

— with inputs from PTI