SC Questions NEET-UG Reforms, Seeks Responses from Centre and NTA

New Delhi (IANS): The Supreme Court on Monday issued notices to the Centre, the National Testing Agency (NTA), and other authorities on petitions seeking major reforms in the conduct of the NEET-UG examination, including an immediate shift to a computer-based testing (CBT) format following the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak controversy.

A Bench comprising Justices P. S. Narasimha and Alok Aradhe directed the petitioners to serve copies of their pleas on Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and scheduled the matter for further hearing on May 29.

During the hearing, the Bench expressed concern that issues relating to examination integrity had resurfaced despite reforms proposed after the NEET-UG 2024 controversy by a high-powered committee headed by former ISRO Chairman K. Radhakrishnan.

“It’s sad that they have not learnt their lesson,” the Bench orally observed.

The court noted that authorities had already constituted a committee after the 2024 controversy, accepted its recommendations, and established a monitoring mechanism. It directed the NTA to file an affidavit detailing the current status of compliance with the recommendations of the monitoring committee constituted on November 14, 2024, including information on its functioning.

The Bench also asked Prof. K. Radhakrishnan to submit a separate affidavit outlining the measures taken to implement the committee’s recommendations and comply with earlier Supreme Court directions.

The directions came while hearing petitions filed by organisations, including the Federation of All India Medical Association and the United Doctors Front, seeking accountability and systemic reforms in the NEET-UG examination process.

One petition sought an immediate transition to a fully computer-based testing system, arguing that the existing pen-and-paper model—which involves printing, transporting, and storing confidential question papers—remains vulnerable to leaks and manipulation.

The petitioners contended that despite recommendations made after the NEET-UG 2024 controversy, authorities continued to conduct the examination under largely the same framework. They pointed out that the Union government had already announced plans to shift NEET-UG to CBT mode from 2027, which they argued amounted to an acknowledgment that stronger technological safeguards are necessary.

The plea also sought the replacement of the NTA with a new independent National Examination Authority equipped with statutory accountability, judicial oversight, and advanced technological safeguards.

Another petition challenged what it described as the NTA’s “systemic failure” and sought the dissolution of the agency in its current form as a society registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860.

The petitioners requested the constitution of a court-monitored committee to oversee reforms in national examinations. They urged the court to mandate encrypted digital transmission of question papers, biometric verification of candidates, AI-based surveillance systems, and enhanced cybersecurity protocols.

The petitions also sought strict criminal action against individuals allegedly involved in paper leaks and organised cheating networks. They also requested a status report from the CBI on the investigation into the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak.

According to the petitions, allegations surrounding NEET-UG 2026—including the circulation of purported “guess papers” before the May 3 examination and the subsequent cancellation of the test on May 12—reflect a recurring pattern of irregularities affecting major national-level examinations.