NTA rejects NEET OMR tampering allegations, says viral answer sheet was digitally altered

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has strongly denied allegations that a NEET (UG) candidate’s Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) sheet was tampered with. The agency said that the answer sheet being circulated on social media is not genuine and has been digitally altered.

The controversy began after a video shared on social media featured the father of a NEET candidate, Avaneesh Srivastava. In the video, he claimed that the OMR sheet uploaded by the NTA did not belong to his son and appeared to be linked to another candidate. The allegation quickly gained attention online and sparked fresh concerns about transparency in the examination process.

The issue also entered the political arena when the Congress party shared the video and questioned the functioning of the NTA. The party renewed its criticism of the examination body and demanded accountability from the Union Education Ministry.

However, the NTA has now issued a detailed clarification, stating that the claims being made on social media are based on a fake document rather than the actual OMR sheet used to evaluate the candidate’s performance.

According to officials familiar with the matter, the agency carefully reviewed the complaint submitted by the candidate’s family and compared it with its official records. The investigation, they said, found multiple inconsistencies in the viral document.

The NTA stated that the answer sheet circulating online contained several errors that clearly indicated it was not an authentic examination document. Officials pointed out that the sheet included incorrect serial numbers, spelling mistakes in the instructions printed on the top section, and wrongly labelled fields that do not match the format used in official NEET OMR sheets.

The agency further noted that the name appearing on the viral image did not correspond to any candidate who had registered for the NEET (UG) 2026 examination. This, according to officials, was another indication that the document had been manipulated before being shared online.

NTA says result remains unchanged

The NTA said it had already completed its review of the complaint and formally communicated its findings to the candidate’s family. As part of the response, the agency reportedly shared a copy of the genuine OMR sheet used during the examination and explained the basis on which the result was calculated.

Officials maintained that the candidate’s score was generated from the original answer sheet available in the agency’s records and not from the image being circulated online. Therefore, they said, there was no reason to alter or revise the result.

“The result stands as declared because it is based on the candidate’s genuine OMR sheet,” officials said while responding to the allegations.

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The clarification comes at a time when scrutiny of national entrance examinations remains high. The NEET (UG) 2026 examination had already been at the centre of controversy after the original test conducted on May 3 was cancelled due to a paper leak. Following the cancellation, authorities organised a fresh examination on May 12.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is currently investigating the paper leak case. Despite the disruption, the re-examination was conducted across the country, and the results were declared on July 16. More than 11 lakh candidates qualified in the examination.

Because of the earlier controversy, many students and parents have been closely examining their results and OMR sheets. This heightened attention has also led to several complaints and requests for verification.

The NTA said it welcomes genuine concerns and continues to provide mechanisms for candidates to seek clarification regarding their results. However, it warned that false or manipulated documents can create confusion and unnecessary panic among students.

The agency revealed that it has received multiple OMR sheets for scrutiny in recent weeks and that some of them were found to be fake or generated using artificial intelligence tools. As a result, officials have advised students and parents to submit only authentic documents while raising concerns or filing complaints.

In an advisory, the NTA cautioned that sharing fabricated or AI-generated OMR sheets could lead to legal consequences. The agency said it is actively monitoring complaints and verifying all documents submitted for review.

Officials stressed that transparency and fairness remain key priorities in the examination process. They urged candidates to rely only on official communication and verified documents rather than information circulating on social media.

The latest clarification aims to address growing concerns among students and reassure candidates that evaluation and result preparation are being carried out using official records. While debates over examination reforms and accountability continue, the NTA has maintained that the specific allegation regarding Avaneesh Srivastava’s OMR sheet is unfounded and based on a digitally altered image.

As the discussion continues online, the agency has reiterated that candidates should use official channels to seek information and avoid spreading unverified content. For now, the NTA stands by its findings and says the NEET result in question remains valid and unchanged.