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NEET 2026 Row: NTA debunks viral OMR claims, says circulated sheets are digitally altered
NTA said that it had verified every case and found that the results declared for the candidates concerned were based on their genuine OMR answer sheets
Amid continuing controversy over the NEET UG Result 2026, the National Testing Agency, NTA dismissed claims circulating on social media that several candidates had been evaluated using incorrect OMR answer sheets. The agency has said that images being shared online as the correct OMR records are digitally manipulated and do not match its official records.
In the official statement issued by NTA, the Agency said that it had verified every case brought to its attention and found, without exception, that the results declared for the candidates concerned were based on their genuine OMR answer sheets available with the agency.
The score declared against every such candidate is fully consistent with the OMR answer sheet, the official answer key notified for NEET UG 2026, and the calculation sheet on file. There is no evaluation error, said the Agency.
The agency further alleged that the images being circulated online were not issued by the NTA but were digitally altered versions of candidates' genuine OMR sheets. The manipulations detected in the cases examined included adding response markings, changing candidates' names, and altering authenticated invigilator signatures and timestamps.
Issuing a strong warning, the NTA said the creation, submission, or circulation of fabricated or forged OMR answer sheets constitutes a cognisable offence under the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024. Such acts may also attract penal provisions under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and the Information Technology Act, 2000.
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The clarification comes amid widespread protests and allegations by some NEET aspirants who claimed discrepancies in their OMR sheets and scores following the declaration of results. Several edited images have been widely shared across social media platforms to support these claims.
The Agency had also released a notice on AI generated fake OMR sheets and scorecards on Monday. NTA said that it received a number of representations from candidates or from persons purporting to act on their behalf, alleging that the OMR answer sheet uploaded against their Roll Number, or emailed to them, does not belong to them, or has been "interchanged", or shows a substantially lower number of answers than the candidate claims to have made.
Upon receiving such representations, the Agency examined each of them and found no discrepancies in its official records. It maintained that the genuine OMR answer sheets in its possession carry the correct roll number, test booklet details, barcode, candidate information, signatures and thumb impressions, and that the declared scores are fully consistent with the official answer key.
