NEET Paper Leak 2026: Supreme Court Seeks NTA Reply, Directs Affidavit Within 3 Days
Supreme Court sought a comprehensive reform roadmap for the National Testing Agency after the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak controversy
The Supreme Court on Monday expressed concern over the functioning of the National Testing Agency (NTA) in the aftermath of recurring NEET-UG controversies, observing that it was “sad” that the agency had not learnt lessons from the earlier paper leak episode.
The Bench of Justices P S Narasimha and Alok Aradhe was hearing multiple petitions, including one filed by the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) seeking restructuring or replacement of the NTA with a more robust and autonomous body to conduct the examination.
During the hearing, AoR Tanvi Dubey appeared for FAIMA. She argued that repeated incidents of alleged paper leaks and systemic failures in NEET-UG have resulted in a “direct assault” on the fundamental rights of more than 22.7 lakh students appearing for the medical entrance examination.
The Court issued notice on the petitions and directed that copies be served to Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and all other parties, including the Centre, the NTA, and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is probing allegations of paper leak.
At the outset, the Bench noted the need for strict compliance with earlier directions passed by the Court in 2024 relating to reforms in the examination system. “It’s sad that they have not learnt their lessons. The matter travelled to this court earlier also. There was a committee, a monitoring committee which made some recommendations and they were accepted,” the Bench observed.
The Court further directed the NTA to file an affidavit by Thursday, i.e. May 28, detailing the steps taken to comply with the recommendations made by the monitoring committee constituted in 2024.
The Bench also directed that the Centre-appointed high-level committee headed by former ISRO chairman K Radhakrishnan be asked to place on record the steps taken towards implementing the Court’s directions aimed at overhauling the functioning of the NTA.
During the hearing, the Court also ordered that all connected matters be tagged together for a comprehensive hearing.
The petitioners sought the creation of a high-powered independent monitoring committee, preferably headed by a retired Supreme Court judge and including experts in cybersecurity and forensic science, to oversee the examination process until structural reforms are implemented. It has also been urged that the NTA be replaced with a more autonomous and credible institution to ensure transparency and prevent future leaks.
The NEET-UG examination conducted on May 3 by the NTA was subsequently cancelled on May 12 following allegations of a paper leak, which are currently under investigation by the CBI.
The matter will now be taken up further after compliance affidavits on May 29.
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.
Case Title: Federation of All India Medical Association v. National Testing Agency and Ors.
Bench: Justices PS Narasimha and Alok Aradhe
Hearing Date: May 25, 2026