The Supreme Court on Monday expressed strong disappointment over the National Testing Agency's handling of repeated paper leak incidents, observing that the agency appeared to have failed to learn from previous controversies despite multiple directions issued by the court. Hearing petitions seeking reforms in the examination system, the apex court sought responses from the Centre, the NTA, and the Central Bureau of Investigation.
Court's Observations
"So sad, they haven't learnt their lessons, we constituted a committee," the bench remarked, highlighting the lack of improvement despite prior interventions. The court emphasized that the NTA must demonstrate accountability and ensure the integrity of examination processes.
Petitioners' Demands
In their plea, FAIMA and UDF sought directions to replace or overhaul the NTA and establish a more secure and autonomous mechanism for conducting the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test – Undergraduate (NEET UG). The petitioners argued that repeated paper leaks have undermined the credibility of the examination system and affected millions of students.
Directions to NTA
The Supreme Court directed the NTA to file an affidavit detailing compliance with recommendations made by the court-appointed monitoring committee, which was constituted after the NEET paper leak controversy. "In the meanwhile, we direct the NTA to file an affidavit indicating the position as regard to the monitoring committee constituted on 14 November," the court ordered. Additionally, Justice Radhakrishna has been asked to file an affidavit indicating steps taken to ensure the compliance of the high-powered committee. The court specified that the affidavit shall be filed within three days.
Background of the Case
The NEET-UG 2026 examination was cancelled amid allegations of a paper leak after investigators found evidence suggesting that a so-called "guess paper" had been circulated among aspirants weeks before the exam. The re-exam has been scheduled for June 21, and the matter has now been listed for hearing on Friday, May 29, 2026.
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