Supreme Court Pulls Up NTA Over NEET-UG Paper Leak, Cites Repeated Mistakes

NEW DELHI: Supreme Court on Monday pulled up the National Testing Agency over the NEET-UG paper leak issue, saying no lesson had been learnt and mistakes were being repeated, a reference to recurring incidents of mismanagement of the medical entrance exam's conduct. In view of difficulties being faced by lakhs of students after the May 3 exam was cancelled - with a fresh test on June 21 - following the paper leak, a bench of Justices P S Narasimha and Alok Aradhe decided to examine the process followed by NTA, particularly in light of various directions issued by SC two years back to make NEET fool-proof and tamper-free. In 2024, the apex court had raised serious questions on NTA's functioning and said the "manner in which NTA organised the exam this year gives rise to serious concerns" as the sanctity of NEET was compromised amid allegations of wrong questions and leak of question paper. SC had then intervened and passed a slew of directions, but two years later, the situation seems to have worsened with the entire exam being scrapped. "It is sad. They haven't learnt their lessons. We passed an order directing constitution of a committee to give recommendations, which was accepted," the bench said at the outset of hearing, as it sought responses from NTA and other authorities on a batch of petitions filed by doctors and students seeking SC's intervention to make the exam fool-proof. "In the meanwhile, we direct NTA to file an affidavit indicating the position as regards the monitoring committee constituted on Nov 14, 2024. In this regard, we also direct Dr. K. Radhakrishnan, the chairman of the committee, to file an affidavit, indicating the steps taken to ensure implementation of the directions given by the high-level committee of experts that has given its report/recommendations in the month of Oct 2024. These affidavits shall be filed within three days from today," the bench said. The petitioners sought various direction, including to strengthen NTA, give it statutory backing and prevent it from outsourcing work. United Doctors Front (UDF), represented by advocates Charu Mathur and Ritu Reniwal sought direction either to replace or fundamentally restructure the present NTA . It also urged that the fresh NEET-UG 2026 be conducted under judicial supervision. Recurring paper leaks violate Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution of over 22 lakh medical aspirants and its merit-based selection, UDF said. It said NTA, being a society registered under the Societies Registration Act of 1860, and it should be restructured to make it accountable to the people of the country.