NEET-UG 2026 paper leak: CBI arrests third NTA expert teacher from Pune

📌 Summary:

• The CBI has arrested a third teacher, Manisha Havaldar, in connection with the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak; she was appointed by the National Testing Agency (NTA) as an expert and had complete access to the physics question paper

• Investigators say she shared a number of physics questions in April 2026 with co-accused Manisha Mandhare (arrested May 16); the CBI's probe found the shared questions matched those in the actual NEET-UG 2026 paper

• Havaldar (58), principal of a Pune school and an MSc in physics, was due to retire on June 30, 2026; the school has suspended her and set up an inquiry committee

• Earlier arrests include biology expert Mandhare (who also translated botany and zoology sections) and retired chemistry lecturer P V Kulkarni (who translated the paper into Marathi); translators are now under scanner for wider paper access

• A total of 11 accused have been arrested across Delhi, Jaipur, Gurugram, Nashik, Pune, Latur and Ahilyanagar; laptops, bank statements and mobile phones have been seized for forensic and digital analysis

🎯 UPSC Relevance: GS2 Governance — integrity of high-stakes public examinations, the role and accountability of the NTA, and exam-security reforms (the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024).

📝 Prelims Facts:

• NEET-UG is the national entrance test for undergraduate medical admissions, conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA)

• The probe is being conducted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)

• The leak traced back to subject experts and translators in the paper-setting process

🔑 Key Term: National Testing Agency (NTA) — an autonomous body under the Ministry of Education that conducts major national entrance examinations such as NEET-UG, JEE (Main) and CUET.