’15 Minutes Extra Time, Admit Cards by June 14′: Dharmendra Pradhan’s Major Announcement Regarding NEET Exam

New Delhi: The NEET paper leak scandal has shaken the entire nation, and palpable anger is evident among students. Amidst this uproar, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan appeared before the media today for the first time. During the press conference, he categorically stated that the culprits would be tracked down, even if they were hiding in the deepest depths. However, prior to the press conference, the NTA had already released information regarding the new dates on the social media platform ‘X’. Students will get another opportunity to try their luck on June 21. The NTA will provide all necessary details, ranging from admit cards to examination centers.

Decision Taken After 3 to 4 Days of Deliberation
Addressing the media, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan stated that it took 3 to 4 days to assess the situation following the leak of the ‘guess paper,’ after which the decision to cancel the examination was taken to ensure that no student would have to face any hardship. He announced, “We are here today with a new date. The re-examination will be held one month from today. Our approach remains unchanged; our battle is against the ‘examination mafia.’ Misleading information and deceptive facts are being circulated via various social media handles in an attempt to misguide the public; it is absolutely crucial to guard against such attempts. Consequently, the government immediately handed over the investigation to the CBI. This time, the CBI will get to the very root of the matter and uncover the irregularities.” The Minister added that the investigative agencies are treating this matter with the utmost seriousness. He issued a stern warning to all those involved in such nefarious activities: “Any miscreants currently at large must steer clear of upcoming examinations; otherwise, they will have to face severe legal consequences.”

New Date Announced
“We have, in a timely manner, announced the new date for the NEET examination. Ever since reports of the paper leak first surfaced, we have maintained a vigilant and close watch on the situation. To this end, the investigation was entrusted to the CBI.”

A Decision Taken with Regret
Dharmendra Pradhan remarked, “We are deeply saddened by this incident; however, keeping a larger objective in mind—specifically to prevent any injustice—we were compelled to take this decision. We have received numerous suggestions regarding this matter. It is our solemn duty to ensure a ‘zero-error’ environment within the NTA, and we are fully committed to achieving this goal. Every year, the NTA conducts examinations for over one crore (10 million) students.” We take full responsibility for ensuring that no financial burden is placed upon the students. The NTA has decided to provide students with a one-week window to select a city of their choice for taking the examination. He further stated that during the course of the investigation, it became evident by May 12 that questions from the actual examination paper had been leaked under the guise of “guess papers.” He emphasized that the government did not wish to see the rights of any honest and hardworking student snatched away due to the actions of the “education mafia.”

Exams to be Conducted Online Starting Next Year
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan announced that, starting next year, the NEET UG examination will be conducted online in order to curb incidents such as paper leaks.

Admit Cards to be Released on June 14
During this announcement, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan informed that the admit cards for the NEET UG 2026 re-examination will be issued by June 14. Additionally, students will be allotted an extra 15 minutes of time.