The recent leak of the NEET-UG 2026 examination paper is only the latest in a long series of examination scandals. India has witnessed more than 90 instances of paper leaks and examination irregularities at the national and state levels over the past two decades, including at least 15 involving examinations conducted by Central agencies.The All-India Pre-Medical Test (AIPMT) 2004, conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), was cancelled after question papers were leaked. A year earlier, the leak of the prestigious Common Admission Test (CAT) paper had sent shockwaves through the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs).In 2006, the CBI filed a chargesheet against 52 persons, including several doctors, for allegedly using DocuPen, a sophisticated pen-sized scanner, to leak question papers of the All-India Post-Graduate Medical Entrance Examination conducted by AIIMS, New Delhi.Years later, in 2011, the AIIMS postgraduate entrance examination was compromised by a high-tech cheating racket. Two doctors were arrested, and investigators found that the masterminds had smuggled images of question papers out of examination halls and transmitted answers through Bluetooth earpieces to candidates who had allegedly paid between Rs 25 lakh and Rs 35 lakh. In the same year, question papers of the AIEEE were leaked in Uttar Pradesh and reportedly sold for Rs 6 lakh, forcing the CBSE to postpone the examination.In 2015, the AIPMT was again embroiled in controversy over a paper leak. In June that year, the Supreme Court cancelled the examination after investigators uncovered a multi-state cheating racket. Organised gangs allegedly used electronic devices to transmit answer keys through WhatsApp and Bluetooth, affecting more than 6.3 lakh candidates.In 2017, more than 11 lakh candidates registered for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET-UG). The examination was marred by organised cheating rackets and multiple attempts to leak question papers across the country.In Patna, five persons, including two medical students, were arrested for allegedly attempting to leak question papers, while in Panaji, four persons were arrested for impersonating candidates. A year later, responsibility for conducting the medical entrance examination was transferred to the National Testing Agency (NTA).The SSC Combined Graduate Level (CGL) Examination 2017-18 also came under scrutiny over allegations of a paper leak, prompting a CBI probe.In 2021, allegations of a paper leak surfaced during NEET-UG. Although the Supreme Court declined to order a re-examination, several arrests were made in Jaipur. The NEET-UG paper leak of 2024 subsequently triggered a nationwide controversy, with the Bihar Police and the CBI making multiple arrests in Bihar and Jharkhand.In September 2021, the CBI registered a case against a private company over alleged irregularities in the JEE (Main) 2021 examination. According to investigators, a private educational institution, its directors, associates and examination-centre staff manipulated the online examination process. It was alleged that candidates were provided assistance through remote access from a selected examination centre in Sonepat in exchange for large sums of money, enabling them to secure admission to premier NITs.In 2026, the NTA once again came under the spotlight after the alleged leak of NEET-UG question papers led to a re-test.Apart from entrance examinations, school-level tests have also been affected. In 2018, CBSE Class X Mathematics and Class XII Economics papers were leaked, impacting more than 20 lakh students. In 2024, the UGC-NET examination was cancelled after questions were allegedly compromised, eventually leading to the removal of then NTA Director General Subodh Kumar Singh.In 2021, the Army cancelled its pan-India Common Entrance Examination (CEE) for Soldier (General Duty) recruitment after question papers were leaked. A joint operation by Military Intelligence and Pune Police uncovered the racket, resulting in the arrest of serving officers, soldiers and civilians.Several other recruitment examinations have also faced paper-leak allegations, including examinations conducted by the Staff Selection Commission (SSC), Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS), ONGC and the Agricultural Scientists Recruitment Board (ASRB).At the state level, major examination leaks included the UP Public Service Commission Review Officer/Assistant Review Officer examination (2024), UP Police Constable examination (2024), Bihar Police Constable examination (2023), Rajasthan Public Service Commission examination (2022), Uttarakhand Subordinate Service Selection Commission recruitment examination (2022) and the UP Teacher Eligibility Test (2021).Earlier controversies included the Rajasthan Pre-Medical Test (2006), Punjab Medical Entrance Test (2007), the Pre-Medical Test conducted by the Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board (2013), which later became linked to the Vyapam scam, and the Chhattisgarh Pre-Medical Test (2014), which also came under scrutiny over alleged irregularities.