Centre tells SC of NEET overhaul with AI, blockchain and tougher anti-paper leak safeguards

New Delhi: The Centre has told the Supreme Court that it has undertaken a comprehensive overhaul of the conduct of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) to eliminate paper leaks and systemic failures. In a compliance affidavit filed before a bench headed by Justice P S Narasimha, the Ministry of Education said the reforms are aimed at creating a robust and institutionalised system that preserves institutional memory, strengthens examination security and prevents future incidents of paper leaks or other malpractices.

The affidavit was filed in response to the apex court's May 29 direction asking the Union government to explain how future NEET examinations would be conducted and how regulatory authorities would build and retain institutional memory to improve examination processes over successive years. The government said that while the Ministry of Education oversees the National Testing Agency, NEET is conducted by the NTA on behalf of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the test-indenting agency.

It also said that the affidavit does not comment on the merits of the ongoing CBI investigation into the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak. The Centre said Parliament has further strengthened the legal framework against examination fraud through the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Act, 2026, building on the 2024 law that criminalised question paper leaks, impersonation, tampering with computer systems and other examination-related offences.

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According to the affidavit, the amendments reflect the government's resolve to impose even stricter penalties against those compromising the integrity of public examinations. The government also informed the court that it has constituted a High-Powered Task Force (HPTF) on Examination Reforms to recommend structural improvements in the conduct of public examinations and to modernise examination systems.

The government said the reforms are intended to create a stronger institutional framework capable of learning from previous examination cycles through systematic use of experience, data and information, thereby reducing vulnerabilities and improving oversight. It said the HPTF set up on July 27 is headed by Infosys co-founder and Aadhaar architect Nandan Nilekani. The task force is mandated to submit recommendations within three months on end-to-end reforms, focusing on leveraging AI and Blockchain to secure examination conduction, it said.

To prevent a repeat of earlier issues, the affidavit said, the NTA has implemented a 10-stage security protocol described by officials as a "fortress" model. To prevent leaks at the translation stage, the government is using "air-gapped" (offline) AI systems for initial drafting, followed by limited human verification, it said. Every question paper and OMR sheet now carries a unique serial number tied to a specific candidate, it said.

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Papers are housed in six layers of tamper-evident packaging, including steel trunks with one-time-use locks that can only be cut open, it said. The affidavit highlighted that the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Act, 2026, now provides for up to 10 years of imprisonment and fines up to Rs 1 crore. On May 12, the NTA cancelled the NEET exam held on May 3 amid allegations of paper leak.

A re-exam was held on June 21. After the questions of NEET-UG were allegedly leaked in 2024, the top court had refused to cancel the test but passed various directions aimed at tackling paper leaks and also a criterion for cancelling public exams. Hearing the pleas on May 25, the top court observed that it was sad that the NTA had not learnt lessons from the earlier NEET paper leak.

It had sought the response of the Centre, NTA and CBI on pleas for the replacement of the testing agency with a robust and autonomous body to conduct the medical entrance exam. The top court had issued notice on the pleas, including one filed by the Federation of All India Medical Association through lawyer Tanvi Dubey.