NEET UG 2026: OMR debate deepens, candidates make new claims as NTA flags AI-generated forms

NEET-UG 2026: NTA warns over AI-generated forms, fresh OMR mismatch allegations surface

The controversy surrounding the NEET-UG 2026 exam has entered a new phase with the National Testing Agency (NTA) warning of legal action against candidates who submit fake or AI-generated OMR forms, even as fresh complaints about the alleged discrepancies keep coming from candidates across the country.Latest developments follow the OMR Show and Challenge window, which remains open from July 13 to July 15 (until 11:00 a.m.). During this period, candidates can view, download and question their scanned OMR answer cards and recorded answers through the official portal. While several candidates used the facility to flag alleged mismatches, the NTA said its investigation had uncovered manipulation in some of the documents submitted for review.

NTA investigation finds OMR table tampering

The agency said it has been closely reviewing complaints received after the OMR display window. According to the NTA, investigations into two widely circulated cases revealed that one of the OMR sheets was “entirely generated by artificial intelligence” while the other had been tampered with.Following the investigation, the agency issued a public warning on its official It advised students and parents to submit only the original OMR form for review, adding that any false or AI-generated document may attract legal action against the complainant.The findings relate to two high-profile cases after candidates claimed their expected scores differed significantly from published scores.

New complaints keep coming

Despite the agency’s statement, some candidates have still expressed concern over the alleged mismatch between the OMR sheets available on the official portal and the answers they claim to have marked during the exam.The most detailed complaint came from candidate Ibtesham Nasar, who posted a series of messages on X on July 17. The candidate claimed that the uploaded OMR sheet contained a bubble fill pattern which was different from the pattern marked during the examination. According to these posts, 12 questions were intentionally left unanswered in the uploaded OMR.The candidate said that during the exam, he compared the uploaded OMR with the answers marked on the test paper and found that a large number of answers did not match. The candidate also claimed to have challenged almost all the contested answers and paid a questioning fee of Rs 27,800 at a rate of Rs 200 per question and said it had not received a reply from the NTA at the time of publication. Candidates are further asked to verify the original physical OMR table and investigate the possibility of OMR mismatch or swapping.Another complaint has surfaced on Reddit where a candidate claimed that the OMR sheet downloaded from the NTA official portal appears to be complete and correctly reflects all responses attempted. However, the candidate later received an OMR attachment via email which, although it contained correct personal details, allegedly showed only part of the questions attempted. The candidate stated that the Physics section reflected an attempt of about 5 questions instead of 37 questions, while the Chemistry section showed about 20 questions instead of 44 questions.

A separate charge has also been filed in Uttar Pradesh involving candidate Avnish Srivastava. According to the candidate’s father, the OMR form received through email had the name of another candidate, Ajit Singh. The father said a formal representation was made to the NTA, which acknowledged the complaint and said it would investigate the matter.Unlike the two cases in which NTA investigations concluded that the submitted OMR sheets were artificially generated or tampered with, these new complaints have yet to receive final adjudication publicly disclosed by the review agency.

OMR challenge process ends

The OMR display facility forms a separate stage of the NEET-UG 2026 examination process and allows candidates to download scanned answer sheets and recorded answers before raising objections.With the challenge window now closed, attention has turned to the agency’s review of the complaint. While the NTA has concluded that some documents submitted during the process were manipulated, some candidates are still seeking verification of their OMR forms and several complaints are still awaiting a public reply from the examination authority.