The Supreme Court heard a plea seeking NEET UG 2026 to be conducted in a computer-based mode as the Centre informed the Court about a high-level expert committee led by Nandan Nilekani to examine examination reforms

The Supreme Court on Monday tagged a petition seeking that the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET-UG) be conducted in a computer-based mode with the batch of pending petitions seeking structural reforms in the functioning of the National Testing Agency (NTA) following the NEET paper leak controversy.

The Bench of Justices PS Narasimha and Alok Aradhe said the plea raised important issues and directed that it be heard along with the other petitions already pending before the Court.

At the outset, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, informed the Bench that there had been significant developments since the matter was last considered. "There is a development. Your Lordships are examining some other petitions relating to the same issue," Mehta submitted.

The Bench responded that the present petition would be listed along with those matters.

Mehta suggested that the petitioners could intervene in the pending batch.

The Court, however, observed that while several petitions had not been entertained, the present matter raised substantial issues warranting consideration. "There are many petitions we have not entertained, but in this one certain good issues have been raised. We will post it along with that batch," Justice Narasimha remarked.

During the hearing, the Solicitor General informed the Court that the Central Government had constituted a high-level expert committee to undertake a comprehensive review of the NEET examination process. "It is my duty to point out that the Central Government has taken a very serious view and a high-level committee has been constituted. The Prime Minister has already declared it," Mehta submitted.

According to the Centre, the committee will be chaired by Nandan Nilekani and comprises former ISRO Chairman S. Somanath, former Intelligence Bureau Director Tapan Deka, IIT Madras Director V. Kamakoti, former Union Education Secretary Anita Karwal, and Amrit Lal Meena, who has expertise in logistics.

The Bench then turned its attention to the practical and technological challenges involved in shifting NEET from a pen-and-paper examination to a computer-based test.

Justice Narasimha observed that the transition would require the government to address several issues beyond merely digitising the examination.

"When the transition occurs from physical conduct to online, what additional safeguards need to be taken? How will the database be secured?" the Bench asked.

Responding to the Court's concerns, Mehta pointed to the composition of the expert committee.

"That is why we have Mr. Nilekani. He is an expert on the subject," the Solicitor General said.

The Bench, however, indicated that cybersecurity concerns extended beyond conducting the examination itself.

Justice Narasimha observed that data storage and protection would also require robust safeguards if the examination process were to move online.

"Data storage is also an issue," the Court remarked.

Taking note of the submissions, the Bench directed that the present petition be listed along with the batch of pending petitions concerning structural reforms in the NTA.

The matter is now scheduled to be heard along with the connected cases on Monday, i.e. August 3.

About the PIL 

The plea filed by RJD MP Sudhakar Singh through AoR Neema seeks directions to conduct the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (Undergraduate) [NEET UG] 2026 re-examination through the Computer Based Test (CBT) mode, contending that the existing pen-and-paper system has repeatedly failed to safeguard the integrity of the country's largest medical entrance examination.

The petition seeks urgent intervention from the top court to direct the Union of India and the National Testing Agency (NTA) to adopt a secure digital examination architecture and technological safeguards to preserve the integrity of NEET UG.

According to the plea, the issue concerns the "fairness, transparency and credibility of the national medical admission process affecting more than 22 lakh medical aspirants, whose future admission to undergraduate medical courses is solely dependent upon NEET-UG."

The petition refers to the events surrounding NEET UG 2026, which was conducted on May 3, 2026, alleging that question papers and "guess papers" were circulated through digital platforms such as WhatsApp and Telegram before the examination.

It states that the National Testing Agency cancelled the examination on May 12, 2026, after investigative inputs indicated that the integrity of the examination had been compromised.

"The cancellation of an examination affecting more than 22 lakh candidates demonstrates that the integrity of the examination process stood compromised and that the existing examination mechanism failed to preserve confidentiality and security of examination material," the plea states.

The petitioner argues that the controversy is not an isolated incident but part of a continuing pattern of examination security failures under the NTA.

The petitioner also argues that the NTA has already demonstrated its capability to conduct nationwide examinations through CBT mode by successfully holding JEE (Main) 2026 across 584 examination centres in 319 cities, including centres outside India.

The plea further notes that the Union Government has already announced that NEET UG will transition to CBT mode from 2027, contending that postponing the shift despite the cancellation of the 2026 examination is unreasonable.

In a related news last week, the Centre assured the Supreme Court that it was undertaking a comprehensive overhaul of the National Testing Agency's functioning. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta submitted that the government was "going ten extra miles" on examination reforms, adding that the process was under the highest level of supervision and that any suggestions from the Court would be accepted without reservation.

Case Title: Sudhakar Singh v. Union of India & Ors.

Bench: Justices PS Narasimha and Alok Aradhe

Hearing Date: July 27, 2026

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