The Supreme Court on Monday sought replies from the Centre, the National Testing Agency (NTA), and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on petitions demanding the replacement of the NTA with an autonomous body to conduct the NEET medical examination.
A bench of Justices PS Narasimha and Alok Aradhe heard multiple pleas that called for shifting NEET entirely to a computer-based format and criticised the recurring paper leak controversies. The court remarked that authorities “have not learnt their lessons” from past incidents and directed the NTA to file a counter affidavit detailing compliance with recommendations made by a court-appointed monitoring committee after the 2024 NEET leak.
The bench also asked the chairman of the monitoring committee to ensure compliance with its directions. The case has been listed for further hearing on May 29.
The Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) and United Doctors Front (UDF) filed petitions urging the court to replace or overhaul the NTA and establish a secure mechanism for conducting NEET.
On May 12, the NTA cancelled NEET-UG 2026 held on May 3 after allegations of a paper leak. A re-exam is scheduled for June 21. The government directed the CBI to investigate irregularities, and so far, 11 accused have been arrested from Delhi, Jaipur, Gurugram, Nasik, Pune, Latur, and Ahliyanagar.
The controversy has intensified demands for transparency and accountability in India’s largest medical entrance exam, with students and doctors calling for reforms in examination procedures.
