What began as a routine evening after the NEET-UG 2026 examination turned into a major controversy when a teacher in Rajasthan’s Sikar noticed that a PDF circulating on phones appeared to match the actual exam paper. After spending hours verifying questions with another faculty member, the teacher concluded that the paper had been leaked and later informed authorities. Days later, the National Testing Agency (NTA) cancelled NEET-UG 2026 over allegations of widespread malpractice linked to the May 3 examination, a TOI report by Dishank Purohit stated. The teacher, who has been coaching NEET aspirants in Sikar for 13 years, said he first came across the PDF around 6 pm on May 3 after returning to his rented accommodation. “My landlord told me, ‘Sir, there is some PDF going around.’ I checked it and was aghast,” he said.According to him, the questions in the PDF immediately appeared familiar.“As I matched chemistry questions in PDF with the actual paper, red flags appeared,” he said. “Questions were overloaded. Then I asked my landlord to check whether biology questions were there too. As it turned out, there were biology questions as well.”Questions checked through the nightThe teacher said rumours during examination season are common in coaching centres, but this time he decided to verify the claims carefully. He contacted a biology faculty colleague, and both began matching the leaked PDF with the NEET question paper.Through the night, they checked questions and answers one by one.“Paper was leaked. I knew it,” he said.The teacher said he went to a police station around 12.30 am on May 4 to file a complaint. However, he was advised to return after collecting complete supporting material.“There may have been loose ends, so I returned from the police station and continued examining the material,” he said.Back at his room, he continued comparing screenshots, question sequences and answer patterns. By May 6 evening, he had emailed the NTA and informed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).“By May 7, I had begun getting responses from NTA. Ministry of home affairs also got in touch with me,” he said.NTA cancelled NEET-UG 2026 on May 12On May 12, the NTA cancelled NEET-UG 2026 after allegations of paper leak and malpractice linked to the examination conducted on May 3.More than 22 lakh students had appeared for the medical entrance examination across the country.The teacher said he understood that speaking up would affect students who had spent years preparing for the exam, but he believed remaining silent was not an option.“I knew lakhs of students who had spent two to three years preparing for NEET-UG would have their dreams crushed,” he said. “They spent endless nights studying and compromised both their mental and physical health for this exam. I could not sit quietly.”Teacher defends Sikar coaching systemThe controversy also brought attention to Sikar, which has emerged as a major coaching hub for engineering and medical entrance examinations.The teacher rejected suggestions that Sikar’s strong NEET results in recent years were linked to unfair practices.“Sikar has developed an excellent education system over the years, good faculty, disciplined preparation systems and strong coaching centres. It is wrong to blame Sikar,” he said.He also said the success of students from the city should not be viewed with suspicion.“Some people are suggesting that because Sikar performed very well in recent years, there must be something suspicious behind it. That is unfair. Sikar proved its mettle through hardworking students and teachers,” he said.