SC adjourns NEET UG 2026 paper leak hearing to August 19; centre says CBT transition under consideration

The Supreme Court on has deferred the hearing on petitions related to the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test Undergraduate, NEET UG 2026 paper leak to August 19. The apex court has provided petitioners time to respond to the Centre's affidavit, which says the government is actively examining all parameters to shift to computer-based format for NEET. MCC round 1 choice filling LIVE updates.

A bench comprising Justices PS Narasimha and Alok Aradhe told petitioners to file their replies to the Centre's counter-affidavit before the next hearing.

During the proceedings, advocate Tanvi Dubey, appearing for the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA), told the court that if the government intends to replace the existing pen-and-paper format with a computer-based test (CBT), the transition should be implemented at the earliest. She made a point that the students are currently preparing as per the existing examination pattern and argued that they deserve the clarity well in advance.

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Considering the submissions, the bench said it would consider all aspects of the matter and asked the parties to place their replies and suggestions on record. Senior advocate Pijush Kanti Roy and advocate Satyam Singh Rajput represented RJD MP Sudhakar Singh, who has also sought reforms in the functioning of the National Testing Agency (NTA).

Discussion on single or two-stage CBT

In its affidavit, the Union government informed SC that all stakeholders are deliberating on possibility of conducting NEET in a computer-based mode. Centre says that the examination could either be conducted as a single-stage CBT or follow a two-stage model similar to Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main and Advanced.

The government said the final decision would be taken after considering the recommendations of the High-Powered Task Force chaired by Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani. The panel includes experts from technology, space, intelligence, academia and public administration. It will assess every aspect of proposed transition, including technology, security, infrastructure, equity and pedagogy.

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The affidavit also said the Centre has initiated a comprehensive overhaul of the NEET examination process to address systemic shortcomings and strengthen safeguards against question paper leaks.

The response was filed pursuant to the Supreme Court's May 29 order directing the Union government to explain the framework for conducting future NEET examinations and the measures being adopted to ensure that regulatory authorities retain institutional knowledge and continuously improve examination processes.

The Centre further informed the court that Parliament has strengthened the legal framework against examination-related malpractice through the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Act, 2026. The amended law builds upon the 2024 legislation that criminalised offences such as question paper leaks, impersonation, tampering with computer systems and other unfair practices in public examinations.

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Replacement of NTA

Another petition in the court is a plea seeking replacement or restructuring of National Testing Agency (NTA) with an independent and autonomous body.

It comes after NTA cancelled NEET UG conducted on May 3, following allegations of a paper leak. A re-examination was held on June 21, while the paper leak remains under investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

(With PTI inputs)