The Supreme Court on Friday (May 29, 2026) said the NEET-UG 2024 and 2026 paper leaks had left students and their families traumatised, and highlighted the need for institutions such as the National Testing Agency (NTA) to develop institutional memory and accountability to prevent similar incidents in the future.
A Bench headed by Justice P.S. Narasimha observed that the leaks had undermined years of hard work and emotional investment by students and their families. “It is actually traumatic when something like this happens. Traumatic, not just for students, but for their families too. There is investment of so many years of emotion and study involved, and gone… But the problem is certainly not beyond us,” Justice Narasimha said.
The court said one of the key problems facing many institutions in India, including the NTA, was ad-hocism and a chronic lack of institutional memory.
“We have some of the best officers heading these institutions. But they get transferred and take their experience and know-how with them. The knowledge is not percolated to the next group of people who are going to run the institution. It is not the individual who should have the memory, the institution must retain its memories, experiences and learn from them,” Justice Narasimha observed.
The Bench directed the Centre, through the Ministry of Education, to file an affidavit within six weeks detailing the measures it proposes to take to prevent future examination leaks and strengthen institutional capacity within the NTA.
The Ministry has also been asked to specify the steps taken to retain specialised personnel, preserve institutional memory and ensure a plurality of expertise in the conduct of NEET examinations.
“The endeavour is to ensure that NTA has the physical and intellectual wherewithal to ensure no incidents like in the NEET-UG 2024 and 2026 exams occur again,” Justice Narasimha said. The apex court has scheduled the next hearing on the matter in the second week of July.
The court also stressed the need for effective accountability, observing that the NTA must learn from the Union Public Service Commission, which had never been in such a situation.
“The real problem will not stop till there is actual accountability. Not in terms of so and so will be liable, it will be effective when we know which individual shoulders the responsibility. Unless you identify the specific duty bearers, it will be difficult,” Justice Narasimha observed.
CBT mode from next year
NTA on Friday (May 29) told the Supreme Court that it is all set to conduct NEET-UG in the computer-based test (CBT) mode from next year instead of the pen and paper mode after consulting the Centre.
The NTA said a high-level committee of experts (HLCE) has recommended transition of NEET-UG to the CBT mode. It said all other major NTA examinations are already conducted in the CBT mode.
“The HLCE has specifically recommended transition of NEET (UG) from PPT to CBT mode, along with the introduction of multi-session and multi-stage testing,” said the affidavit filed by Director (Legal), NTA.
“The transition will be implemented from the next examination cycle in consultation with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (the client Ministry for NEET-UG) - thereby bringing all major NTA examinations onto the CBT platform,” it said.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the NTA, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was “personally looking into” efforts to fool-proof the NEET-UG examination system.
The cancellation of NEET-UG 2026, conducted on May 3, had left around 23 lakh candidates facing uncertainty over their academic future.
The observations came as the NTA filed an affidavit in the apex court over the corrective steps taken following NEET-UG paper leak.
The agency said the cancellation of NEET-UG 2026 and the transfer of the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) reflected the seriousness with which examination integrity was being treated by both the NTA and the Union government.
The NTA said the decision to cancel the examination was taken in the interest of students and in recognition of the trust underpinning the national examination system. It added that the agency was extending full cooperation to the CBI in the ongoing investigation.
According to the affidavit, the NTA has overhauled several aspects of the examination system, including question paper preparation, printing, transportation and storage protocols.
Among the key changes, the agency has introduced multiple sets of question papers, with one set retained as a backup. Instead of the conventional A, B, C and D series, the papers will now carry special lengthy codes, and the sequencing of answer options varies across different sets.
The affidavit said printing protocols have been tightened through verification, monitoring and security arrangements. A designated senior officer will oversee the entire printing process, and the use of electronic devices has now been prohibited. All CCTV recordings will also be preserved.
The NTA said transportation of question paper trunks is now being carried out through India Post (a government entity), with a chain-of-custody protocols. The papers will be escorted by Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) from the printing press to nodal hubs. India Post will then transport the papers to district custodians, and then District Police will take them to examination centres.
The NTA said it has also issued detailed guidelines for receipt and storage of question-paper trunks by custodian banks. The trunks shall be received by the Custodian in the exam city and kept in safe custody, the affidavit said, with access restricted to authorised personnel. They can only be opened in a designated strong room or control room 45 minutes before the commencement of the examination.
The affidavit further stated that Confidential Operations (CONOPs) guidelines have been operationalised. A dedicated area has been carved out in the office for confidential work, while question paper setters will be isolated in insulated rooms without internet or mobile access. The rooms will be self-contained with storage space and pantry. Any rough work generated during the process will be shredded and question papers are stored in encrypted manner on a master computer at the command centre. The cryptographic algorithms used for question delivery are also updated regularly.
The NTA informed the court that the re-examination scheduled for June 21 would be conducted under a strengthened standard operating procedure (SOP) framework incorporating multi-layer authentication, enhanced surveillance and inter-agency coordination.
The Chairman of the High Powered Steering Committee (HPSC) on NTA Reforms, Dr. K. Radhakrishnan, who was present in the court, said a comprehensive “clean-up” of the systemic issues haunting the conduct of NEET-UG was underway. He pointed out in a separate affidavit that NEET-UG 2025 was conducted satisfactorily after incorporating the recommendations made by the High Level Committee of Experts.
Published - May 29, 2026 01:48 pm IST
