The National Testing Agency (NTA) on Tuesday cancelled the NEET-UG exam a little over a week after it was conducted for 22.05 lakh candidates on May 3.

The cancellation this time is unique — while allegations of malpractices and paper leaks have surfaced before, this is the first time that the NTA is cancelling the exam in its entirety. NEET-UG, the entrance exam for undergraduate medical admissions, is the largest exam that the NTA conducts in terms of the number of candidates who appear on a single day and in a single shift.

On May 7, the NTA received information about alleged malpractices surrounding the NEET-UG exam that was held on May 3. Sources in the NTA said that the allegations were about a PDF file that was circulating with questions, and they flagged the matter to law enforcement agencies on May 8.…