INDIAN EXPRESS DATED 17th May 2026

Summary of Important News Items Editorials-341

INDIAN EXPRESS DATED 17th May 2026.

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1.      NEET-UG leak: arrest of NTA subject expert

The NEET-UG 2026 paper leak investigation widened with the arrest of Manisha Gurunath Mandhare, a senior botany professor from Pune and an NTA-appointed subject expert. The CBI alleged that she had access to Botany and Zoology papers and, along with retired chemistry professor P V Kulkarni, entered into deals with 70–75 students for Rs 2.5–3 lakh each. The event is significant because the breach is traced to the earliest stage of paper preparation, not merely to transport or examination-centre handling. The logic of the investigation is that insider access creates the gravest risk in high-stakes examinations. The government and NTA’s stand is to conduct a retest and overhaul the list of paper-setters and translators. The gist is that technological reform alone is insufficient unless confidentiality, vetting, accountability and criminal deterrence are strengthened.

2.      NTA flags paper-setters and translators to CBI