'PM Modi personally supervising so there is no lacunae'- Centre tells SC in NEET 2026 paper leak matter

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is personally monitoring the NEET UG 2026 re examination process and the paper leak case to ensure that no gaps remain in the examination system, the Centre informed the Supreme Court today.

The submission came during the hearing on multiple petitions related to the NEET-UG 2026 controversy, including a plea seeking replacement or restructuring of the National Testing Agency (NTA) with a more independent and stronger body to conduct medical entrance exams.

Expressing serious concern over the issue, a division bench comprising Justices P S Narasimha and Alok Aradhe stressed the need for accountability in such cases. PTI reported that the Bench said it was "actually very traumatic" not only for the students but for their families as well if something like this happened.

"We should not disappoint our youngsters," the bench said while hearing the pleas. 

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the bench that the government is seriously concerned about the concerns of the youths, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is personally supervising the situation so that there is no lacunae.

"The real problem won't stop till actual accountability arises,” the bench observed.

"It is actually very traumatic if something like this happens, not just for the students but also for their families and everybody," the bench said, adding, "They invest so much emotion."

Mehta told the bench that some new mechanisms have been put in place for the NEET-UG re-test scheduled for June 21.

Medical Dialogues recently reported that the National Testing Agency (NTA) has informed the Supreme Court today that it has introduced major reforms to improve the security and transparency of the exam process. In an affidavit filed before the division bench comprising Justices P S Narasimha and Alok Aradhe, the NTA said it remains committed to conducting examinations in a fair and transparent manner. The agency informed the court that it has carried out wide-ranging structural and security changes after serious concerns were raised over alleged irregularities in NEET UG 2026.

The matter was heard by the Supreme Court in connection with petitions filed by the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) and the United Doctors Front (UDF). The petition raised serious concerns over the functioning and role of the NTA. It further sought implementation of the recommendations of the high-powered committee headed by Prof. K. Radhakrishnan, and called for the creation of a new examination body by replacing NTA through an Act of Parliament.

As per latest TOI media report, regarding the pending and ongoing demand for Computer-Based Test (CBT) in NEET examinations, the NTA has informed the Supreme Court that the Higher Public Service Commission (HPSC) will hold another meeting after NEET-UG 2026. In consultation with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, it will decide whether future NEET exams should be conducted in CBT mode or continue in the current pen-and-paper format.

As part of internal reforms, the NTA said in its affidavit that it has created 16 senior-level posts, including Director and Joint Director roles within the organization.

It also said that two Joint Secretary-rank officers have been appointed as Additional Director Generals to oversee technology operations and examination security, while a Secretary-level officer took charge as Director General of the NTA in March 2026.

The agency added that experts from top institutions such as IITs, UGC, CBSE, Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS), and IGNOU have been included to strengthen exam planning and security systems.

Previously on May 25, the Supreme court issued notices to the NTA and the Ministry of Education after observing that the agency responsible for conducting the country's biggest entrance examinations appears to have failed to learn from past controversies. On this, the division bench comprising Justices P S Narasimha and Alok Aradhe expressed concern over the situation despite previous judicial intervention and orally remarked, "It's sad that they have not learnt their lesson."

On May 12, the NTA cancelled the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate), or NEET, held on May 3 for medical admissions amid allegations of a paper leak. A re-examination has been scheduled for June 21. The paper leak allegations are under investigation by the CBI.

To recall, after the questions of NEET-UG were allegedly leaked in 2024, the top court had refused to cancel the test but passed various directions aimed at tackling paper leaks and also a criterion for cancelling public exams.

Also read- Major reforms introduced after NEET 2026 leak row- NTA files affidavit, Supreme Court stresses fixing accountability