Reports of NEET-UG question paper leak baseless, every single paper has been accounted for: NTA

The reports claiming question paper leak in the medical entrance exam NEET-UG are "completely baseless and without any ground", the National Testing Agency (NTA) clarified on Monday.

Stressing that every question paper has been "accounted for", the NTA said that purported images of the question paper circulating on social media have no relation with the actual paper.

"It has been ascertained from NTA's security protocols and Standard Operating Procedures that the social media posts pointing towards any paper leak are completely baseless and without any ground.

"To put rumours to rest, it is also stated that every single question paper has been accounted for," said Sadhana Parashar, Senior Director, NTA.

Parashar said that no external person or agency can access the centres once the examination starts.

She said that after the gates of the examination centres are closed, no one from outside is permitted access inside the halls, which are under CCTV surveillance.

"All other photographs of question papers circulating in social media have no relation to the actual examination question paper which has been administered," she added.

The entrance exam was conducted on Sunday at 4,750 centres in 571 cities including 14 cities abroad.

The NTA had on Sunday claimed that the distribution of wrong question papers at an exam centre in Rajasthan led to some candidates walking out with the papers. The agency had denied any leak of the question paper.

"The integrity of the examination process was not compromised. The exam was later reconducted for the 120 affected candidates at the centre," Parashar had said on Sunday.