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

New Delhi: Amid the NEET UG 2026 paper leak controversy and the subsequent cancellation of the examination, the National Testing Agency (NTA) has told 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 Supreme Court heard the matter 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 replaing NTA through an Act of Parliament.

During the hearing, Solicitor General Shri Tushar Mehta informed the Court that affidavits have been filed by Dr K. Radhakrishnan, who headed the High-Powered Committee (HPC), as well as by the Director (Legal), NTA, detailing the implementation status of the recommendations made after the 2024 controversy.

The agency said it is working closely with the Ministry of Education to improve the examination system and prevent cases of paper leaks and malpractice. It added that its main focus is to ensure fair and smooth conduct of national-level entrance exams.

The NTA further informed the court that it is following recommendations given by the Radhakrishnan Committee. These suggestions are being implemented step by step and in a planned manner to strengthen the exam process, as reported by India Today.

On this, the Apex Court questioned how such incidents could still occur despite the monitoring and implementation of the HPC recommendations. The Bench observed that either there was a problem with the recommendations themselves or effective monitoring had not taken place.

Responding to this, Dr. K. Radhakrishnan informed the Court that out of approximately 60 recommendations made by the committee, most have already been implemented, while a few are still under process. He stated that NEET-UG 2025 was conducted satisfactorily except for certain isolated incidents such as power failures at some centres. He further informed that enhanced coordination with State Governments and district administrations has been introduced for secure conduct of examinations.

In one of the most significant observations of the hearing, the Hon’ble Supreme Court emphasized that the "real problem" would persist unless clear accountability is fixed upon specific duty holders. The Court observed that unless responsibility is assigned to identifiable individuals and systems, obligations become "diffused," making institutional failures difficult to address.

The Bench further remarked that examinations like NEET involve the emotions, years of hard work, sacrifices, and aspirations not only of students but of entire families. The Court stated that such incidents are "very traumatic" and that students cannot be repeatedly disappointed.

The Hon’ble Court also highlighted the issue of "adhocism" within institutions and stressed the importance of developing institutional memory, continuity of human resources, and permanent expert-driven mechanisms within NTA. The Bench observed that strong institutions—not merely individuals—are essential to ensure credibility and transparency in national examinations.

In response, the Solicitor General submitted that the Government of India is deeply concerned about students and informed the Court that certain new mechanisms have been introduced for the upcoming re-examinations, though details could not be publicly disclosed for security reasons.

He further submitted that the Hon’ble Prime Minister is personally supervising the matter.

The Court directed the Union Government, through the Ministry of Education (HRD), to file a detailed affidavit explaining the future framework for examination conduct, including how institutional continuity, expert participation, and robust systems would be established to prevent recurrence of incidents similar to NEET-UG 2024 and 2026.

The matter is now listed for hearing in the second week of July 2026.

Commenting on the matter, Dr Lakshay Mittal, Chairperson, UDF told Medical Dialogues, said, "UDF believes that today’s observations of the Hon’ble Supreme Court have once again highlighted the urgent need for transparent, accountable, technologically secure, and student-centric examination systems in the country. India’s youth deserve a system that protects merit, fairness, and trust."

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."

The NEET UG 2026 exam was conducted on May 3 by the National Testing Agency and was held from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM in pen-and-paper mode. Over 22.7 lakh aspirants appeared for the examination this year. It took place across 551 cities in India and 14 cities abroad, covering over 5,400 centres.

However, the NTA on May 12, 2026, declared the cancellation of the examination held on May 3 and subsequently announced the re-examination on June 21, 2026.

This came in the backdrop of the probe by the Rajasthan Police Special Operations Group, which reportedly found a “guess paper” containing more than 100 questions similar to those asked in the NEET UG examination. The question paper series under scrutiny has been described as a “guess paper” which reportedly contained around 410 questions. Out of these, nearly 120 questions are alleged to have appeared in the Biology and Chemistry sections of the examination. The investigation found that the leaked papers were circulated through WhatsApp and Telegram groups ahead of the NEET UG 2026 examination.

Due to the alleged controversy, the central government decided to refer the matter to the Central Bureau of Investigation for a comprehensive inquiry into the allegations. Based on the centre's direction, the CBI registered an FIR in the case and has so far arrested 13 people.

Meanwhile, preparations are underway for the NEET-UG re-examination, which is scheduled to be held on June 21 across more than 5,400 centres in 550 cities nationwide, India today has reported.

Also read- 'Sad they have not learnt their lesson': SC pulls up NTA in NEET 2026 leak row, issues notice