The Supreme Court heard petitions on NEET-UG reforms as the Centre informed the Court that shifting the examination to a computer-based format is under active consideration

The Supreme Court on Thursday directed petitioners seeking reforms in the National Testing Agency (NTA) and the NEET-UG examination system to file their replies to the Centre's affidavit stating that the migration of the medical entrance examination from the existing pen-and-paper format to a computer-based mode is under active consideration.

The Bench of Justice P.S. Narasimha and Justice Alok Aradhe granted the parties time to respond to the Centre's counter affidavit and listed the matter for further hearing on August 19.

Appearing for the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA), Advocate Tanvi Dubey submitted that if the Government intends to shift NEET-UG to a computer-based format, the decision should be announced at the earliest as students are presently preparing for the examination in the pen-and-paper mode.

The Bench observed that it would consider all aspects of the matter after receiving replies and suggestions from the petitioners.

In its affidavit, the Union Government informed the Court that the transition of NEET-UG to a computer-based test (CBT), either as a single-stage examination or a two-stage model on the lines of JEE (Main and Advanced), is being actively examined by all stakeholders.

The Centre clarified that the final decision would be taken only after considering the recommendations of the High-Powered Task Force headed by Nandan Nilekani, which comprises experts from technology, academia, intelligence, public administration and the space sector.

The affidavit further stated that the Government has undertaken a comprehensive overhaul of the NEET examination process following the controversy surrounding the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak, with multiple measures introduced to strengthen security and prevent future lapses.

The affidavit was filed pursuant to the Supreme Court's May 29 order directing the Centre to place on record the steps being taken to institutionalise reforms in the conduct of NEET examinations.

Among the petitions before the Court is one seeking restructuring or replacement of the National Testing Agency (NTA) with an independent and autonomous body to conduct NEET-UG examinations.

Notably, NEET-UG 2026 was cancelled following allegations of a paper leak, after which a re-examination was conducted on June 21. The alleged paper leak is presently under investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Background of the Case

On July 15, the Court had indicated that a plea challenging the NTA's decision to cancel and re-conduct NEET UG 2026 for nearly 22 lakh candidates had become infructuous, while observing that concerns relating to institutional reforms in the examination process could still be examined in the pending proceedings.

Last month, the Supreme Court had refused to urgently list pleas concerning the re-conduct of the NEET-UG 2026 examination scheduled for June 21, reiterating that all matters relating to the examination stand assigned to a Bench led by Justice P.S. Narasimha.

Earlier, on June 17, the Court had said that a plea challenging the National Testing Agency's (NTA) decision to cancel and re-conduct NEET-UG 2026 for nearly 22 lakh candidates across the country would be placed before the Bench headed by Justice P.S. Narasimha after the partial court working days, along with all other pending NEET matters.

In a related news, the Supreme Court had recently refused a plea made before it to conduct re-test of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET)-UG 2026, scheduled on June 21, through a Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode. A bench of Justices PS Narasimha and Aravind Kumar was hearing a petition by RJD MP Sudhakar Singh which demanded immediate migration of NEET examinations to a CBT-based system. The bench posted the matter to July, effectively denying relief of NEET re-test. Justice Narasimha observed that the Court had already dismissed similar pleas in the past. "You know what kind of problems we are having. The examination was cancelled, it is being reconducted...the kind of pressure that they have, similar matters we have dismissed," Justice Narasimha observed.

Recently, Court on May 29th had underscored the urgent need for structural reforms within the National Testing Agency, observing that recurring controversies surrounding NEET examinations would continue unless clear individual accountability was fixed within the system. The Bench of Justices PS Narasimha and Alok Aradhe made the observations while hearing a batch of petitions arising from the recent NEET-UG 2026 paper leak and subsequent cancellation of the examination.

“The real problem won’t stop till actual accountability arises… Unless you identify the duty holders, it will be a diffused obligation,” the Bench remarked, stressing that responsibility within the examination framework cannot remain vague or institutional alone. Calling the incident “very traumatic”, the Court said students and their families should not suffer due to repeated failures in conducting national-level examinations. “We cannot disappoint our students. It is not merely the student, it’s the family too… It is so much of emotions, love, time, years of study,” the Bench had observed.

Case Title: Sudhakar Singh v. Union of India & Ors and Federation of All India Medical Association v. NTA; United Doctors Front v. Ministry of Education

Bench: Justices PS Narasimha and Alok Aradhe

Hearing Date: August 6, 2026

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