Supreme Court refuses plea to hold NEET-UG re-test in computer-based mode

The Supreme Court on Monday declined to entertain a plea seeking that the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET)-UG 2026 re-examination be conducted in a computer-based test (CBT) format instead of the existing pen-and-paper mode.

 

The NEET-UG 2026 examination, conducted on May 3, was annulled on May 12 after allegations of a large-scale paper leak emerged, prompting a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe. The re-examination is slated to be held on June 21.

 

A Bench of Justice P S Narasimha and Justice Aravind Kumar indicated that it was not inclined to grant the relief and deferred consideration of the matter until after the court vacation, effectively ruling out any change to the format of the scheduled re-test.

 

The petition was filed by Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) lawmaker Sudhakar Singh and raised several concerns regarding the conduct of NEET examinations.

 

During the hearing, however, counsel for the petitioner confined the challenge to a single issue and urged the Court to direct that the re-examination be held through a computer-based system.

 

The Bench noted that similar requests had been rejected earlier. Justice Narasimha observed that the Court had already dealt with comparable pleas and had not found merit in granting such directions.

 

When the petitioner argued that authorities were proceeding with preparations for a physical examination despite concerns regarding the integrity of the process, the Court pointed to the practical difficulties involved in altering the examination mechanism at such a late stage.

 

Justice Narasimha remarked that the examination had already been cancelled once and authorities were engaged in the complex exercise of conducting it afresh.

 

The Court also referred to the considerable administrative burden faced by examination authorities and reiterated that previous petitions seeking comparable relief had been dismissed. It subsequently adjourned the matter to July and directed that it be heard along with a batch of pending petitions concerning reforms in the National Testing Agency (NTA).

 

The plea arises from the cancellation of NEET-UG 2026, originally conducted on May 3, following allegations of a large-scale paper leak.

 

Besides seeking a shift to CBT mode, the petition called for a comprehensive roadmap for transitioning NEET to a fully digital examination system, including infrastructure creation, cybersecurity measures, examination-centre readiness and accessibility safeguards for candidates.

 

The petition also sought broader institutional reforms, including replacement of the NTA with an independent statutory National Examination Authority possessing stronger technological safeguards, accountability mechanisms and oversight structures.

 

Among other demands, the petitioner urged the Court to constitute a high-level expert committee comprising a retired Supreme Court judge, educationists, psychologists, cybersecurity specialists, forensic experts and administrators to recommend measures for securing national-level examinations.

 

The plea further sought implementation of recommendations made by the committee headed by former ISRO Chairman K Radhakrishnan, along with adoption of encrypted digital transmission of question papers, biometric authentication, artificial intelligence-based monitoring systems, enhanced cybersecurity protocols and mandatory digital locking of examination papers.

 

It also requested strict criminal action against individuals and organisations allegedly involved in paper leaks and organised cheating networks, besides seeking a status report from the Central Bureau of Investigation on the ongoing probe into the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak.

 

Another prayer sought publication of centre-wise examination results by the NTA to facilitate detection of irregularities and anomalies.

 

Last month, while dealing with a separate batch of petitions arising out of the NEET controversy, a Bench led by Justice Narasimha sought responses from the Union government and the NTA regarding measures taken to strengthen the examination system in light of recommendations made by a court-appointed committee.