Transition Of NEET To Computer-Based Testing Requires Consideration: Supreme Court On RJD MP Sudhakar Singh's Plea
The Supreme Court today (July 27) briefly postponed the hearing of a petition concerning conduct of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) 2026 through a Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode, instead of the existing pen-and-paper format.
The bench had initially refused to order National Testing Agency (NTA) to conduct the NEET-UG 2026 re-exam, scheduled on June 21, though CBT. The Top Court had however kept the matter open for the larger issue regarding the transition.
Reiterating that the larger issue requires consideration, a bench comprising Justice PS Narasimha and Justice Alok Aradhe today said that it would hear the matter with two other writ petitions seeking structural reforms within the NEET.
It may be recalled that the bench had postponed the hearing on two petitions to next Monday after Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta informed the Court that the government is "very serious" about safeguarding the future of students and pleaded that he would be able to assist the Court better after some time as the government's measures are underway.
Today, Mehta informed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced a High Court Task Force headed by Nandan Nilekani, former executive chairman of Infosys, to recommend structural reforms within the NTA. Since the matter is already listed to be heard on Monday, the Court adjourned the present petition too.
Other members of the Committee are S. Somanath, former ISRO Chairman; Tapan Deka, former Intelligence Bureau (IB) Director; V. Kamakoti, Director of IIT Madras; Anita Karwal, former Education Secretary and ex-CBSE Chairperson and Amrit Lal Meena, Logistics Expert and senior bureaucrat.
The two main petitions were filed by United Doctors Front and Federation of All India Medical Association. While hearing the matter last week, the bench said it will monitor the implementation of the recommendations of the High-Level Committee headed by former ISRO Chairman Dr K Radhakrishnan, which have also suggested a transition to CBT.
Pertinently, Justice Narasimha had asked the government to file a comprehensive affidavit next Monday on how it intends to implement the proposal to transition from pen-and-paper to CBT. Additionally, it had asked how data security would be maintained, considering that paper leaks can still take place if data is breached.
The present petition has been filed by RJD MP Sudhakar Singh seeking various reliefs in relation to the NEET exam. It may be recalled that when this matter was taken up for interim relief, Justice Narasimha observed that there was "no question" of granting such relief at this stage, adding that the authorities were already dealing with significant challenges.
Last month, the bench led by Justice Narasimha, while hearing another set of petitions, had expressed anguish at the NEET-UG cancellation, and sought reports from the Union and the NTA on the steps taken to strengthen the examination system based on the recommendations made by an earlier Court-appointed committee.
The present petition was filed in the backdrop of the cancellation of the NEET-UG 2026 exam held on May 3 due to the detection of widespread paper leak. The petition sought sweeping reforms in the conduct of the NEET-UG, including a direction to examine a CBT mode instead of the existing pen-and-paper format.
It also sought a time-bound roadmap for transitioning NEET-UG to a fully computer-based examination system, including details of infrastructure development, examination centres, cybersecurity safeguards and measures to ensure accessibility for candidates.
The petition also called for structural reforms in the examination system. Among the reliefs sought was a direction to the Union Government to replace the NTA with an independent statutory National Examination Authority equipped with technological safeguards, institutional accountability and oversight mechanisms. The petitioner further sought the constitution of a high-level monitoring committee comprising a retired Supreme Court judge, educationists, psychologists, cybersecurity experts, forensic scientists and administrative experts to recommend reforms for the conduct of secure national-level examinations.
Other prayers included directions for strict implementation of the recommendations made by the committee headed by former ISRO Chairman K. Radhakrishnan, adoption of encrypted digital question-paper transmission systems, biometric verification, AI-based surveillance mechanisms and stronger cybersecurity protocols. The petition additionally sought directions for mandatory "digital locking" of question papers and a gradual transition to a CBT model to eliminate risks associated with the physical handling and transportation of examination papers.
The petitioner also urged the Court to direct strict criminal prosecution of individuals, institutions, coaching centres, middlemen and officials allegedly involved in examination paper leaks and organised cheating rackets. A further prayer sought a status report from the Central Bureau of Investigation on the probe into the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak, including details of arrests, charges and progress of prosecution. Transparency-related measures were also sought, including a direction to the NTA to publish NEET-UG results on a centre-wise basis to facilitate the detection of anomalies.
Case Details : SUDHAKAR SINGH Vs UNION OF INDIA | W.P.(C) No. 675/2026 Diary No. 30906 / 2026