NTA Acts on NEET UG 2026 OMR Controversy; Responds to Students’ Claims
NEET UG 2026 OMR: The National Testing Agency (NTA) has investigated claims made by three candidates regarding the NEET (UG) 2026 examination. Upon verifying the authentic records in all cases, it was revealed that the images of OMR sheets circulating on social media had been digitally altered. This information was conveyed in a public notice issued on July 20, 2026.
Following the declaration of the NEET UG 2026 results, various claims regarding the OMR sheets and scores of certain students had gone viral on social media. Some candidates alleged that their scores were incorrect and that there were discrepancies in their OMR sheets. The NTA has now concluded its investigation into these matters and clarified that some of the OMR sheets being shared online are not genuine.
The NTA has responded to the claims made by three students: Arya Singh, Abhay Yadav, and Lakshya Singh. The agency states that the viral images were digitally tampered with and that the official records are entirely accurate.
NTA Investigates Candidates’ Claims
The NTA conducted separate investigations into the cases of Arya Singh, Lakshya Singh, and Abhay Yadav. According to the agency, the authentic OMR sheets for all three candidates are securely held in its records. Furthermore, during the challenge window for OMR responses, these candidates had been sent their actual OMR sheets via their registered email IDs.
Findings Regarding Arya Singh’s OMR Sheet
Regarding claims by Ms. Arya Singh (App No. 260410434102) about her NEET (UG) 2026 OMR answer sheet:
— National Testing Agency (@NTA_Exams) July 20, 2026
NTA has verified the record.
The genuine OMR of the candidate is with NTA. It was also emailed to her at the registered e-mail address during the OMR Response Key challenge…
According to the NTA, the OMR sheet attributed to Arya Singh that circulated on social media was not genuine. The agency stated that the image had undergone digital editing. For instance, the time recorded for the invigilator’s signature was 3:45 PM on the authentic sheet, whereas in the viral image, it had been altered to 2:45 PM.
In a post, the NTA indicated that signs of digital alteration were found in several other areas as well. After an investigation, the NTA stated that Arya Singh’s score of 167 is correct and no changes will be made to the result.
Clarification regarding the OMR sheets of Lakshya Singh and Abhay Yadav
In the case of Lakshya Singh, the NTA revealed that several additional answers had been digitally filled in on the viral OMR sheet. According to the records, he had attempted only 54 out of the 180 questions; of these, 34 were correct and 20 were incorrect, while 126 questions were left unattempted. Based on this, his score of 116 was confirmed as correct.
Regarding claims by Shri Lakshya Singh (App No. 260412053016) about his NEET (UG) 2026 OMR answer sheet:
— National Testing Agency (@NTA_Exams) July 20, 2026
NTA has verified the record.
The genuine OMR of the candidate is with NTA. It was also emailed to him at the registered e-mail address during the OMR Response Key challenge…
Sharing fake OMR sheets is a legal offense
The NTA has explicitly stated that digitally altering OMR sheets, creating fake OMR sheets, or circulating them on social media constitutes a serious offense. Similarly, making false claims that contradict public examination records invites legal action. Such actions are punishable under the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024.
