The National Testing Agency (NTA) has dismissed a viral claim by a NEET UG 2026 candidate who alleged that her examination score dropped dramatically after changes were made to her OMR sheet. The agency said its verification found that the answer sheet circulating on social media had been digitally altered and did not match the original OMR sheet maintained in official records. It also reaffirmed that the candidate's official score of 167 marks is accurate and warned that creating or circulating forged or AI-generated examination documents could invite legal action.

The clarification comes amid growing scrutiny over the NEET UG 2026 re-examination results, with several students raising concerns over alleged discrepancies in their scores. The latest controversy centred on Kanpur-based medical aspirant Arya Singh, whose claims gained widespread attention on social media and prompted political leaders to demand an independent investigation.

According to Arya Singh, she had initially calculated her score as 609 marks after checking her corrected OMR sheet against the official answer key. She further alleged that when the results were declared, the portal first displayed 540 marks, but within a short period, her score was reduced to 167 marks.

In a video shared online, Singh stated that she possessed screenshots, her corrected OMR sheet and related documents, insisting that she was seeking only a fair verification of her result.

After examining the matter, the NTA issued a statement on July 20, saying it had thoroughly verified the candidate's examination records. The agency noted that the original OMR sheet was securely stored in its database and had also been sent to the candidate's registered email address during the answer key challenge window.

According to the agency, the image that went viral on social media was not genuine. NTA pointed to a specific discrepancy, stating that the invigilator's signature time had been altered from 3:45 PM on the original OMR sheet to 2:45 PM on the version circulated online. The agency further said it identified several additional signs of digital manipulation, confirming that the document had been tampered with.

Based on its verification, NTA maintained that 167 marks is the correct score and that no revision to the result is warranted.

Media reports cited documents showing Arya Singh's official result as 167 marks, with an All India Rank (AIR) of 12,52,036 and a category rank of 3,67,585.

In a separate public notice, the NTA said it has received multiple complaints involving allegedly altered OMR sheets and scorecards following the declaration of the NEET UG 2026 results. According to the agency, the cases examined so far involved fabricated or manipulated documents rather than genuine discrepancies.

The examination authority issued a strong warning against the creation, possession, submission or circulation of digitally altered or AI-generated examination records, stating that such actions may attract legal proceedings under the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Information Technology Act.

At the same time, the NTA emphasised that candidates with genuine concerns about their results can still seek verification through the official grievance redressal mechanism. Students have been advised to submit complaints via the NTA helpdesk, providing their application number, roll number and complete details of the alleged discrepancy for proper examination.

The agency reiterated that it is committed to investigating all authentic complaints while taking strict action against attempts to spread misinformation through forged examination documents. As scrutiny over the NEET UG 2026 results continues, the NTA has urged candidates and parents to rely only on official records and avoid sharing unverified or manipulated content on social media.