Health Bulletin 18/June/2026

Here are the top health stories for the day:

Supreme Court Transfers NEET-UG 2026 Re-Test Plea to Bench Hearing All NEET Cases

The Supreme Court on Wednesday said that the petition challenging the nationwide re-conduct of NEET-UG 2026 will be heard by a Bench led by Justice P.S. Narasimha after the partial court working days, along with other pending NEET-related cases. The matter came up before a Bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice V. Mohana. The petition, filed by former Assistant Director General of Health Services Dr. Mangala Kohli, challenges the National Testing Agency's (NTA) decision to cancel the May 3 examination and conduct a nationwide re-test for nearly 22 lakh candidates. The plea argues that while allegations of paper leaks require strict investigation, forcing all candidates to reappear is unfair and disproportionate. It also seeks reforms in the conduct of national-level entrance examinations, including secure digital systems, biometric authentication, AI-based monitoring and computer-based testing.

The PIL contends that investigations by the CBI point to localised examination malpractice rather than nationwide contamination, making a blanket cancellation unjustified. It argues that the decision has caused severe academic, mental and financial hardship to lakhs of genuine aspirants and disrupted the medical admissions process. The petition also seeks an interim stay on the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination, according to Law Beat report.

Earlier, the Supreme Court had declined to shift the June 21 re-test to a computer-based format but observed that recurring NEET controversies highlight the need for structural reforms and fixed accountability within the NTA to prevent similar crises in future.

Telegram Moves Delhi HC Against Government Ban Ahead of NEET 2026 Re-Exam

Telegram has moved the Delhi High Court challenging the centre's decision to temporarily ban its services in India until June 22, a move taken ahead of the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination to curb the spread of alleged paper leak scams and misinformation. The matter was mentioned urgently before a vacation bench, which agreed to hear the plea later in the day.

NEET 2026 Re-Exam: Odisha DGP Deploys Three-Tier Security System

Ahead of the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination scheduled for June 21, Odisha Director General of Police (DGP) Y.B. Khurania on Tuesday reviewed security and administrative preparations to ensure the examination is conducted smoothly and without any irregularities. Chairing a high-level meeting, the DGP directed district Superintendents of Police and senior officers to implement a three-tier security system across all examination centres and other sensitive locations. The NEET-UG retest will be held at 132 examination centres across the state. Officials discussed security arrangements, CCTV surveillance, protection of question paper storage lockers, deployment inside and outside exam venues, traffic management, and emergency response measures.

The DGP also instructed officials to intensify social media monitoring, keep cyber cells on high alert to curb misinformation and rumours, and conduct advance inspections of all security arrangements before the examination. Strict protocols have also been mandated for the secure collection and transportation of OMR sheets from examination centres to designated safe locations after the test, according to The New Indian Express.

Warning that no security lapse or irregularity would be tolerated, Khurania directed all police officers to remain fully prepared for the incident-free conduct of the examination. Meanwhile, the Odisha government has announced free bus travel for NEET candidates and will conduct a mock preparedness exercise on June 20.

Cyber Fraud: 735 Telangana Doctors Lose Nearly Rs 30 Crore Since September 2024