‘We’ll come and see’: On NEET, SC says will inspect NTA office; seeks report on progress by Nandan Nilekani panel
Supreme Court Seeks Concrete Progress on NEET Reforms
Theindiapostdaily.com – The Supreme Court has pressed the Centre and the high-powered committee led by Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani to show measurable progress on reforms to the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET), emphasising that committee recommendations must result in a durable and properly staffed examination system.
A bench comprising Justices PS Narasimha and Alok Aradhe was hearing petitions connected with alleged question-paper leaks and other concerns surrounding this year’s NEET examination. The controversy triggered mass protests by the Congress Janata Party during June and July 2026.
The court directed the Joint Secretary of the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), who is coordinating with the Nilekani-led High-Powered Committee, to submit an affidavit within two weeks setting out the panel’s work so far. The matter is scheduled to be listed again after three weeks.
“We direct the Joint Secretary coordinating with the High-Powered Committee, Joint Secretary, DoPT, who is coordinating with the High-Powered Committee, to file an affidavit indicating the progress made by the Committee. Let the affidavit be filed within another two weeks from today. List after Three weeks,” the court directed.
Focus on implementation, not just recommendations
The Centre informed the bench that the task force has undertaken extensive consultations and is expected to place its first interim report before the end of the month. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the court that suggestions received in the matter had been shared with the panel, which also consulted members of an earlier committee headed by former ISRO chairman K Radhakrishnan.
The judges made clear that preparing another report would not, by itself, resolve the problems exposed by the controversy. Their central concern was the institutionalisation of the NEET process: a framework that remains effective after a committee completes its work and is capable of conducting examinations reliably year after year.
“Progress is one matter. What are the suggestions made? Most important is the institutionalisation of it. See, you know what we are a little concerned about. We had the Radhakrishnan Committee. So what we have today is only a committee report. Correct? Full stop. It must progress further. Consideration of the recommendations and it's implementation is the most important part,” the Bench said.
The observation highlights a larger issue in national examination administration. NEET affects a vast number of medical aspirants and determines access to undergraduate medical education. Any failure in question security, test delivery, staffing or result management can therefore have consequences for students across the country. The court’s questioning placed the spotlight on whether reforms will become routine institutional practice rather than remain proposals on paper.
Judges plan to inspect NTA’s upgraded facility
Justice Narasimha said that he and Justice Aradhe intended to visit the National Testing Agency’s newly upgraded office and assess whether the systems described to the court were functioning in reality. The NTA has been provided separate permanent premises near Minto Road.
“We'll come and see whether the system is actually in place, whether it is working or not working, manpower, all these things,” Justice Narasimha said.
The planned visit is expected to examine both the agency’s physical setup and the availability of personnel needed to run it. The bench indicated that infrastructure alone would not be enough if the organisation lacked a stable workforce and clearly defined operational divisions.
Justice Narasimha stated that at least half of the NTA’s employees should be permanent staff rather than officers sent temporarily from other government departments. The court linked a reliable testing system to continuity in leadership, staffing and institutional knowledge.
“You must know that permanency of the entire system is key. There should be a permanent setup, permanent staff, permanent verticals. Very less deputation should be there. Only then a permanent structure will come up,” the bench told Mehta.
The court also raised questions about the NTA’s coordination with other institutions, the handling of data and whether statutory support may be required for the national testing framework.
“Also, your relationship with other working institutions, how you are collaborating with them, how much data is... Whether we need statutory backing,” the Court was quoted as saying.
Petitions seek changes to examination design and oversight
The proceedings arise from a group of petitions seeking changes in the way NEET is administered. One petition was filed by the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) through advocate Tanvi Dubey. It seeks replacement or restructuring of the NTA and calls for stronger safeguards in the examination process.
Among its requests are digital locking of question papers, a move towards a Computer-Based Test (CBT) format and publication of centre-wise results to help identify irregular patterns. The petitioner has also placed suggestions before the court on how a transition to CBT could be implemented.
Another plea, submitted by the United Doctors Front through advocates Ritu Reniwal and Charu Mathur, calls for a statutory national testing body with enhanced oversight and direct accountability to Parliament.
A separate petition has been moved by Rashtriya Janata Dal MP Sudhakar Singh, social activist Anubhav Garg, Indian Medical Association national spokesperson Dhruv Chauhan and political leader Harisharan Devgan. That plea also seeks shifting NEET-UG to a CBT format.
The different petitions reflect a shared demand for a more secure, transparent and accountable examination mechanism. While the specific solutions vary, the central questions before the court concern how future NEET examinations can protect the interests of candidates and ensure that the agency conducting them has the institutional strength to respond to failures.
The affidavit due in two weeks will give the court an updated account of the Nilekani panel’s work. Its expected interim report, together with the proposed judicial inspection of the NTA facility, may shape the next stage of scrutiny over the reforms being considered for NEET.
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