NEET paper leak case: Supreme Court of India asks NTA to adopt UPSC-like safeguards

The Supreme Court of India on Friday raised serious concerns over the functioning of the National Testing Agency in the wake of the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak controversy, asking the examination body to take lessons from the Union Public Service Commission in maintaining institutional credibility and exam security.

A bench headed by Justice PS Narasimha, while hearing petitions seeking reforms in the NEET examination process, questioned how such a major breach could occur despite the presence of a high-powered committee set up to prevent irregularities.

“UPSC has never been in such a situation. You need to learn,” Justice Narasimha remarked during the hearing. The court observed that the issue went beyond a single examination and reflected deeper concerns about accountability and institutional functioning in bodies responsible for conducting national-level entrance tests.

“Despite a high-powered committee, if this incident happened, there is something wrong with the original recommendation, or there is no proper implementation,” the bench said.

The petitions, filed by the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) and the United Doctors Front (UDF), seek structural reforms in the NTA after allegations of paper leaks and irregularities in NEET-UG 2026. Representing the Centre and the NTA, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the court that the government was treating the issue with utmost seriousness and had already initiated corrective measures.

“We are dealing with youth, and the government is very serious about the problems of the youth,” Mehta told the bench.

He informed the court that the re-NEET process and implementation of fresh safeguards were being monitored at the highest levels of government. Mehta added that several new security mechanisms had been introduced for future examinations, although the Centre chose not to publicly disclose details to avoid compromising the process.

“Some new mechanisms are put in place for the examinations. It may not be appropriate to divulge what’s there. Otherwise, it may defeat the purpose,” he said. During the proceedings, Mehta also told the bench that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was personally supervising the matter.

Justice Narasimha, however, stressed that the court’s concerns were focused on long-term institutional reform rather than temporary fixes. “The problem with most of our institutions is ad hocism. The knowledge doesn’t percolate. It is not the individual who has the capability. It is the institution,” the judge observed.

The bench further highlighted the importance of accountability in organisations handling highly sensitive examinations. “The real problem is accountability. Unless we identify the responsibility, you won’t really know. It is the most sensitive thing,” Justice Narasimha said.

Retired Justice R Radhakrishnan, who heads the steering committee reviewing examination reforms, informed the court that both immediate and long-term recommendations had been prepared and that several had already been implemented.

He said loopholes in question paper transportation and examination management had been addressed and assured the court that additional safeguards would be in place for the upcoming re-NEET examination.

In its affidavit, the NTA detailed a series of security and structural reforms introduced after the controversy. These include mandatory CCTV checks, preservation of footage for at least 90 days, mock drills at examination centres, contingency plans for weather disruptions, verification of backup power systems and forensic analysis of CCTV footage after examinations.

The agency also informed the court that 16 senior-level posts had been created as part of its restructuring exercise. Experts from institutions such as IITs, CBSE, UGC, KVS and IGNOU had also been inducted to strengthen examination management and security systems.

The Supreme Court directed the Union government to submit a fresh affidavit detailing the safeguards planned for future examinations and the steps being taken to ensure continuity and institutional memory within the NTA.