NTA says AI-generated, digitally altered OMR sheets used to spread false NEET UG 2026 result claims

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has dismissed allegations of discrepancies in the NEET UG 2026 results, stating that several OMR answer sheets circulating on social media were digitally altered, AI-generated, or manipulated to falsely suggest evaluation errors.

In a detailed clarification issued on July 20, the testing agency said it verified the viral documents against its official database and found multiple instances where the circulated OMR sheets did not match the original records.

The agency warned that creating or sharing fabricated examination documents could lead to criminal prosecution, cancellation of candidature, and debarment from future examinations.

The clarification follows complaints from several candidates after the NEET UG 2026 re-examination results were announced on July 16.

Students from different parts of the country claimed their scores did not match their responses and shared images of their OMR sheets online, alleging that answers had been changed or omitted during evaluation.

NTA said it conducted a verification exercise after the claims gained traction and found that some of the circulated documents had been digitally manipulated using AI or optical character recognition (OCR)-based editing tools.

According to the agency, forensic analysis indicated that additional answer bubbles had been inserted, original entries had been overwritten, and printed portions of the OMR sheets had been regenerated to make the documents appear authentic.

The agency maintained that the original OMR records are protected through multiple security features, including barcodes, booklet numbers, answer sheet numbers, and server-linked QR codes, making post-examination alterations impossible.

NTA also issued case-wise clarifications for candidates whose OMR sheets were widely circulated online.

In the case of Avaneesh Srivastava, the agency said the genuine OMR sheet containing his name, parents' names, signature, thumb impression, and invigilators' signatures had already been emailed to him during the answer key challenge window.

However, the image circulated on social media reportedly displayed the identity of another individual, "Ajeet Singh," whose stated parentage did not exist in NTA's records.

Responding to claims made by Pratibha Trivedi, NTA said the OMR sheet shared publicly was a heavily altered version of the original document. It said her verified score remained 38 marks.

For Abhay Yadav, the agency rejected claims that he had left only five questions unanswered and should have secured significantly higher marks. According to NTA, the official OMR showed that he had left 44 questions unattempted, and his verified score remained 164.

In Lakshya Singh's case, NTA alleged that additional answer bubbles had been digitally shaded in the circulated image. The original OMR, it said, showed that he attempted 54 of 180 questions, with 34 correct and 20 incorrect responses, while leaving 126 questions unanswered. His verified score remained 116.

Addressing allegations related to Arya Singh, the agency said the viral OMR sheet showed signs of digital editing, including changing the invigilator's signing time from 3:45 pm to 2:45 pm. NTA said her official score remained 167 marks.

Separately, the agency reiterated these findings in a series of posts on X, stating that the circulated OMR sheets of Arya Singh, Lakshya Singh, Abhay Yadav, and Pratibha Trivedi had been digitally altered and did not match official records.

NTA said all four candidates had already been provided with their original OMR sheets through email during the response key challenge window.

The agency also cautioned that creating, modifying, or circulating forged OMR answer sheets is a punishable offense under the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024.

Referring candidates to its public notice issued on July 20, 2026, NTA urged students and the public to rely only on official communications and verified examination records.

It said all declared NEET UG 2026 results were based on genuine OMR answer sheets securely maintained and cross-verified during the evaluation and response challenge process.