Supreme Court Calls for Permanent NEET Framework, Judges to Inspect NTA Facility
Supreme Court pushes for institutional reforms at NTA to prevent NEET paper leaks; judges to visit upgraded facility as Nilekani panel prepares interim report.
The Supreme Court on Friday stressed the need for a permanent institutional framework to conduct the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), observing that short-term measures would not be enough to prevent paper leaks.
A bench of Justices PS Narasimha and Alok Aradhe made the remarks while hearing a plea that sought the replacement or restructuring of the National Testing Agency (NTA), the autonomous body responsible for NEET and other higher-education entrance examinations.
The judges said they intended to visit the NTA's newly upgraded facility to assess whether the system is functional and to review manpower and other arrangements. "Strengthening the NTA's system institutionally is crucial to preventing recurring paper leaks. Merely immediate or temporary measures would not suffice," the bench told Solicitor General Tushar Mehta.
The court emphasised that permanency of the entire system was key, calling for a permanent setup with permanent staff and verticals, and minimal reliance on deputation. The judges conveyed to the Centre that only such a structure would endure.
The Centre informed the court that the high-powered panel led by Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani, constituted to recommend structural reforms in NEET, has held exhaustive consultations and is expected to submit its first interim report by the end of this month. Mehta said all suggestions had been placed before the panel, which also consulted members of an earlier committee headed by former ISRO chairman K Radhakrishnan.
The bench directed the joint secretary to the Department of Personnel and Training, who is assisting the Nilekani panel, to file an affidavit detailing the steps taken so far.
The developments follow a comprehensive overhaul of the NTA's examination system announced by the Centre, including a four-tier paper checking process, the removal of 600 experts, and the onboarding of domain specialists. The NTA was established in 2017.
The changes came after widespread protests over the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak, which led to the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan as Education Minister in July. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also announced a high-powered task force headed by Nilekani to recommend reforms aimed at making the examination system leakproof.