The National Testing Agency (NTA) officially cancelled the NEET-UG exam held on 3 May 2026, following a major controversy regarding a widespread question paper leak across multiple states and mass irregularities. CBI has so far arrested Manisha Mandhare and 10 others in relation to this case. Manisha Gurunath Mandhare, a Pune-based Biology lecturer who was appointed as a subject expert by the NTA, was accused of abusing her inside access to leak the Biology section of the examination.
Against this backdrop, an image of Union Cabinet Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan with a woman has gone viral on social media. The users who share the image claim that it shows the education minister with NEET leak-accused Manisha Mandhare.
The same post is going viral on Facebook as well.
Let’s check the truth.
Fact check
We started our investigation with a reverse image search on Google, and the results led us to a similar image on an Instagram post uploaded by Nivedita Ekbote on 18 December, 2024. The caption states, “It was amazing and lovely meeting with Hon’ble Union Minister of Education Shri Dharmendra Pardhan ji at @punebookfestival along with my parents… His vast experience in the field of education and administration will constantly inspire us.”
Nivedita Ekbote is the Principal of Modern College and the State Vice President of the Maharashtra Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha. Ekbote also refuted the viral claim on her X handle, stating that her image is being misidentified and shared with false claims.
When we searched for “Manisha Mandhare arrested in the NEET paper leak case,” we discovered several news reports featuring an actual file image of the arrested Manisha Mandhare.
A BBC report dated 17 May, 2026, on Manisha Mandhare’s arrest included a statement given to ANI by Nivedita Ekbote, the principal of Modern College. Ekbote had stated that the accused professor had been working at the college for the past 24 years and was associated with the National Testing Agency (NTA) under confidentiality conditions.
When we compared the images, the face of the accused, Manisha Mandhare, does not match the woman in the viral image. A comparison of both images can be seen below.
Based on this evidence, we can understand that the woman seen in the viral image is actually Dr. Nivedita Ekbote, Principal of Modern College, not NEET leak-accused Manisha Mandhare.
Conclusion
Fact Crescendo found the claim made along with the image to be False. The woman in the image with the Education Minister is Nivedita Ekbote, Maharashtra’s Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) State Vice President and Principal of the Modern College in Pune.
Title: The woman in the viral image with Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan is not Manisha Mandhare, the NEET paper leak accused.
Fact Check By: Usha Manoj
Result: False
