NEET-UG 2026: Supreme Court Sought Affidavit On NTA Reforms, Stressed Need For Institutionalisation

The Bench of Justice PS Narasimha and Justice Alok Aradhe has been hearing petitions concerning the NEET-UG examination and reforms following irregularities in the examination process.

The Court has directed the Secretary concerned to file an affidavit within three weeks setting out the steps taken to implement the recommendations of the Radhakrishnan Committee, as reflected and nuanced by the Nandan Nilekani Committee. The affidavit has also been directed to contain indicative timelines for implementation.

The hearing has seen the Court closely examine the NTA's examination-security architecture, institutional capacity and proposed technology-driven reforms.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta has submitted that the examination system has been “foolproof”, while acknowledging that human error or human intervention can occur depending on the individual involved.

Explaining the safeguards, Mehta has submitted that multiple moderators have been tasked with preparing a question bank of around 500 questions for each subject so that no single individual has decided which questions ultimately form part of the examination paper.

A separate set of moderators has then selected 100 questions each and prepared four question papers. The Director General of the NTA has selected two of the four papers for the examination. Until that stage, Mehta has submitted, nobody has known which paper will ultimately be used.

The selected papers have thereafter been sent in sealed covers to two separate identified printing presses equipped with CCTV surveillance and monitored by the CISF.

Mehta has explained that the person carrying the box has not known the digital code required to open it. The code has been provided by the NTA Director General only after the person has reached the identified printing facility.

The question papers have subsequently been packed in iron boxes with one-time-use locks which cannot be opened and resealed. The locks have to be broken.

Two sets containing different question papers have been transported in sealed metal boxes. The vehicles carrying them have been fitted with GPS and their movement has been monitored at the NTA headquarters.

The two sets have then been deposited in separate banks and kept in strong rooms. The entire process has been videographed, with the bank manager, NTA representative and City Coordinator signing the records.

On the morning of the examination, the NTA Director General has informed the City Coordinator which trunk has been selected. The selected trunk has then been taken into custody by the City Coordinator along with the district manager, NTA representative and police officials, under videography and police protection.

At the examination centre, the sealed box has been opened immediately before the examination in the presence of two students. The lock has been broken and the footage has been preserved for future reference.

The packet containing 24 question papers has been handed over to the class coordinator, who has distributed the papers to the 24 students. The students have been required to break open their respective sealed envelopes.

Mehta has also submitted that four different versions of the question paper have been prepared, with the questions jumbled differently, and that the printer itself has not known for which examination the paper has been printed.

'Institutional memory does not depend on individuals'

Justice PS Narasimha has, however, emphasised that the Court's concern has not merely been with safeguards followed on the day of an examination but with building a permanent institutional structure capable of continuously evolving.

“This is a systemic problem which needs institutionalisation. That is the most important part of it,” the Judge has observed during the hearing.

Justice Narasimha has said that procedures may look sound on paper but can change with the arrival or transfer of personnel.

“On paper, everything is good. But then one exam happens and by the time the second examination happens, it is a new picture altogether,” the Judge has observed.

Justice Narasimha has stressed that personnel have to be trained not merely for one examination but for examinations in the years to come.

“Candidate-friendly arrangements, grievance mechanism, strengthening physical and intellectual capacity. This is the most important,” Justice Narasimha has said.

He has further stressed the need for secure office premises, confidential operations, technological infrastructure and specialised manpower, particularly in cybersecurity.

The Bench has pointed to the Radhakrishnan Committee's recommendation for multiple specialised verticals within the NTA, including testing infrastructure, digital infrastructure, information security, candidate experience and research and development.

When the Bench has asked about appointments to the proposed positions, Mehta has submitted that recruitment has been underway and advertisements have been issued for positions including Technology Officer, Chief Finance Officer and General Manager.

Justice Narasimha has drawn a comparison with the Union Public Service Commission, observing that UPSC has developed institutional memory and expertise by conducting examinations continuously over a long period.

“Over a period of time regularly they were conducting exam after exam and they have collected institutional memory and expertise because it happened over a period of time,” the Judge has said.

He has stressed that an examination body must continuously upgrade itself and evolve into a “vibrant institution”.

The Judge has also questioned whether the NTA has adequate physical infrastructure and manpower and has asked how many of the proposed senior officers have actually been appointed, whether they have taken charge and whether the NTA has separate premises.

Justice Narasimha has also asked whether the NTA has a sovereign database for storing examination data and has questioned what sovereign software has been developed.

When Mehta has said that the database is “in contemplation”, the Bench has raised concerns over where question papers and sensitive examination data will be stored.

“Storage is a big issue,” Justice Narasimha has observed, stressing that the necessary infrastructure and database have to be developed.

Mehta has submitted that the Government has accepted the Radhakrishnan Committee's recommendations “in toto”.

He has said that several measures have already been implemented and that the Government will place the progress before the Court.

The Court has also been informed that the NTA has been setting up its own technology team with support from the National Informatics Centre (NIC), onboarding professional teams and exploring indigenous AI models for translation of question papers.

Mehta has clarified that the question bank of around 500 questions has been translated into 13 languages manually and that the NTA has not relied upon AI for this process.

He has, however, acknowledged that there can still be a possibility of a breach.

“There was a breach and the people who were involved are arrested,” Mehta has submitted.

The Court has directed the Centre to place on record the progress made in implementing the recommendations of the Radhakrishnan Committee and the modifications proposed by the Nandan Nilekani Committee.

Advocate Tanvi Dubey for the petitioners has submitted that the Radhakrishnan Committee has recommended a transition towards a computer-based examination model, which has been implemented in 2024. Counsel has pointed out that the latest affidavit nevertheless describes CBT as being “under consideration”.

She has further submitted that the Radhakrishnan Committee has identified the physical mode of examination as one of the weakest links in the examination supply chain because it involves printing, transportation and storage of question papers.

The Committee has recommended that printing be undertaken at the examination centre itself and on the same day.

Mehta has submitted that the question of which system is more “foolproof”, human or purely digital, remains under consideration.

Justice Narasimha has then asked the committee to reflect on the issue and place its views before the Court.

Justice Narasimha has said institutionalisation is critical because transfers of experienced personnel can otherwise result in the loss of accumulated knowledge.

“The biggest problem is that if you don't institutionalise, experienced persons get transferred. Then the whole experience goes,” the Judge has observed.

“It must flow down to the next level and the next level so that they could pick up from the seniors. Institutional memory does not depend on individuals,” he has added.

The Judge has said the objective has to be to create an institution where expertise and experience survive individual personnel changes.

Court has sought detailed affidavit within three weeks

In its order, the Court has said that it is concerned with the institutionalisation of the NTA with all necessary infrastructure, manpower and technological capabilities.

The Court has recorded that the committee constituted to examine examination reforms has considered various recommendations and reforms focusing on the use of advanced technology, including AI and blockchain, to strengthen examination security and integrity.

The Court has accordingly directed the Secretary concerned to file an affidavit detailing the steps taken to implement the recommendations of the Radhakrishnan Committee, “as reflected and nuanced by the Nandan Nilekani Committee”, along with indicative timelines.

The affidavit has to be filed within three weeks.

Background of the Case

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.