‘Systemic Failure’: Medical Association Moves Supreme Court Over NEET-UG 2026 Paper Leak, Seeks NTA Overhaul

The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET-UG) 2026, conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) on May 3 for undergraduate medical admissions, was cancelled on May 12 after allegations of a paper leak surfaced. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is currently probing the matter.

The FAIMA through AoR Tanvi Dubey, has now moved the apex court seeking directions for a complete restructuring of the examination system, including replacement of the NTA with a more technologically advanced and autonomous body.

The petition referred to media reports claiming that “guess papers” circulating on encrypted platforms such as WhatsApp and Telegram allegedly matched more than 100 questions from the actual examination paper.

Calling the incident a grave threat to the integrity of competitive examinations, the plea urged the Court to direct the Union government to replace or fundamentally restructure the NTA and establish a secure, transparent, and technologically robust mechanism for conducting NEET examinations.

FAIMA has also sought the constitution of a high-powered monitoring committee headed by a retired Supreme Court judge and comprising cybersecurity experts and forensic specialists to supervise the re-conduct of the examination.

The association further requested that the fresh NEET-UG 2026 examination be conducted under the supervision of the proposed committee until a permanent National Examination Integrity Commission or equivalent independent oversight body is established.

The plea additionally sought directions for digitisation and enhanced security protocols in examination processes, including “digital locking” of question papers and transition towards a Computer Based Test (CBT) model to minimise risks associated with the physical transportation and custody of examination material.

FAIMA also requested the Court to direct the CBI to file a status report within four weeks detailing the progress of the investigation, including the network involved in the alleged leak, arrests made, charges filed, and the status of prosecution.

The petition highlighted that the cancellation of the examination has left over 22 lakh medical aspirants and their families in uncertainty regarding the revised examination schedule, admit cards, examination centres, results, and counselling timelines.

The matter is likely to come up before the Supreme Court in the coming days.