The Supreme Court on May 25 expressed its anguish that the NEET-UG 2026 had to be cancelled over paper leak and ordered the NTA to file an affidavit indicating the position as regard to the monitoring committee constituted on 14 November, 2024. The Court was responding to petitions filed by doctors and medical students seeking to replace the NTA. The High-level Committee was constituted by the Union Government in the backdrop of the 2024 NEET UG leak. It was chaired by former ISRO chairman Dr K Radhakrishnan.
It added, “We also direct Dr K Radhakrishnan, the former chairman, to file an affidavit indicating the steps taken to ensure the compliance given by the High Powered Committtee that has given its report. The affidavit shall be filed within 3 days.”
The plea contends that despite the enactment of the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, the government failed to prevent organised cheating networks and paper leaks. The petition states that the repeated examination leaks have caused psychological distress, financial hardship and uncertainty among students and families. It also highlights student suicides allegedly linked to examination-related stress. Among other reliefs, the petition seeks directions to dissolve the NTA in its current form, enact legislation establishing a statutory national testing authority with defined transparency and accountability norms, and appoint a court-monitored committee for overseeing future national examinations.
