Leaked NEET Chemistry question bank found at arrested Maharashtra teacher’s home

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested a coaching institute owner from Latur, Maharashtra — Shivraj Raghunath Motegaonkar of RCC Coaching Institu...

What Happened

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested a coaching institute owner from Latur, Maharashtra — Shivraj Raghunath Motegaonkar of RCC Coaching Institute — in connection with the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak, taking total arrests in the case to 10.
Searches of the coaching premises and the accused's residence led to the recovery of a Chemistry question bank alleged to contain questions identical to those that appeared in the NEET-UG exam conducted on 3 May 2026.
A chemistry lecturer, arrested earlier, reportedly dictated examination questions — along with answer options and correct answers — to students, who recorded them in notebooks later found to exactly match the actual paper.
The leak represents a recurrence of examination integrity failures in one of India's highest-stakes competitive exams, coming within two years of the NEET-UG 2024 controversy in which the Supreme Court had indicted the National Testing Agency for "serious lapses."
The case has reignited calls to replace the existing NTA framework with a statutory examination authority established through an Act of Parliament.

Static Topic Bridges

NEET-UG — National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate)

NEET-UG is a single national entrance examination for admission to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH, and related undergraduate medical courses in India. It was introduced to replace multiple state-level and institution-level entrance tests, under a Supreme Court order (2013) and the Medical Council of India framework. NEET became mandatory for all government and private medical colleges from 2020 onward following the National Medical Commission (NMC) Act, 2019.

Conducted by: National Testing Agency (NTA)
Held annually, usually in May; ~20 lakh candidates appeared in 2026
Three subjects tested: Physics, Chemistry, Biology (Botany + Zoology)
Marks: 720 maximum; qualifying scores determine eligibility for approximately 1.08 lakh MBBS seats
States allowed to use NEET scores for admission to state quota seats; 15% seats under All-India Quota (AIQ) managed by MCC (Medical Counselling Committee)

Connection to this news: NEET's status as the sole gateway to medical education makes any leak systemically catastrophic — affecting lakhs of aspirants and potentially invalidating the examination.

National Testing Agency (NTA) — Institutional Structure and Accountability Deficit

The National Testing Agency was established in 2017 as an autonomous organisation under the Societies Registration Act, 1860, under the Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education. It was created to conduct entrance examinations such as NEET-UG, JEE (Main), CUET, UGC-NET, and others — freeing CBSE from this role. Because NTA is a registered society rather than a statutory body created by Parliament, it lacks the institutional accountability and oversight mechanisms that a statutory authority would possess.

Registered under: Societies Registration Act, 1860 — not an Act of Parliament
No independent board with judicial or legislative oversight
After the 2024 NEET controversy, a high-level committee chaired by former ISRO chief K. Radhakrishnan reviewed NTA's functioning and recommended structural reforms, including independent observers and third-party audits of question paper security
The Supreme Court, in its August 2024 ruling on NEET-UG 2024, ruled out a systemic breach but identified specific lapses and directed NTA to avoid "administrative flip-flops"
Multiple petitions have demanded conversion of NTA into a statutory body with parliamentary accountability

Connection to this news: The recurrence of leaks in NEET-UG 2026 directly tests whether the 2024 reforms recommended by the Radhakrishnan committee were implemented, and strengthens the case for a statutory examination authority.

Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024

Parliament enacted the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act in 2024 — the first dedicated central legislation criminalising malpractice in public examinations. The Act extends to all examinations conducted by specified public examination authorities, including NTA, UPSC, SSC, and railways recruitment boards. It creates specific offences for leaking question papers, impersonation, and collusion by service providers.

Offences under the Act include: leaking question papers, obtaining/distributing leaked papers, impersonation, tampering with answer sheets, and collusion by IT/logistics service providers
Penalty: imprisonment of 3–10 years and fine up to ₹1 crore for organised crime provisions
"Organised exam crime": offences involving a group or network attract higher penalties (7–10 years)
The Act replaced reliance on IPC/CrPC provisions that were ill-suited to exam fraud
The CBI's NEET 2026 investigation is being conducted under this Act alongside the IPC

Connection to this news: The arrest of Motegaonkar and the chemistry lecturer under the 2024 Act demonstrates the new law's application to the NEET 2026 leak — though the effectiveness of deterrence is questioned given the recurrence within two years.

Supreme Court's Role in NEET Oversight and Education Federalism

The Supreme Court has played a decisive role in shaping NEET's evolution. Its 2013 order mandated a common entrance test for medical admissions; subsequent rulings clarified the balance between central uniformity and states' right to conduct their own medical entrance examinations under List III (Concurrent List) of the Constitution. Tamil Nadu has persistently challenged NEET's imposition, citing concerns about rural, regional-language students being disadvantaged against urban, English-medium coaching students.

Article 246 and the Seventh Schedule: education in List III (Concurrent List); but the NMC Act, 2019 (central legislation) overrides state preferences under the doctrine of repugnancy
Supreme Court has upheld NEET's constitutional validity but acknowledged equity concerns
Right to Information (RTI) Act: candidates and public-interest litigants have used RTI to seek information on paper security protocols — NTA has frequently denied such requests on grounds of exam confidentiality
Parliamentary standing committees have recommended mandatory third-party audits of question paper printing and transport security

Connection to this news: The NEET 2026 leak intensifies the debate over whether a centralised examination administered by a non-statutory agency adequately serves the public interest, and whether states should have greater oversight rights.

Key Facts & Data

NEET-UG 2026 conducted: 3 May 2026
Arrest of Shivraj Motegaonkar (RCC Coaching, Latur): total CBI arrests in case reached 10
Chemistry question bank recovered: allegedly identical to actual NEET-UG 2026 Chemistry paper
NTA established: 2017, under Societies Registration Act 1860 (not a parliamentary statute)
Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act: enacted 2024; penalties up to 10 years imprisonment and ₹1 crore fine
NEET-UG 2024 SC ruling (August 2024): identified lapses at specific centres; ruled out systemic breach; directed NTA reforms
Radhakrishnan Committee: formed post-2024 NEET controversy; recommended NTA structural reforms
NEET total MBBS seats (approx.): ~1.08 lakh government + private seats across India
NMC Act, 2019: replaced MCI; mandated NEET as universal gateway to undergraduate medical education
NEET UG aspirants in 2026: approximately 20 lakh registered candidates