The Supreme Court on Thursday asked petitioners, including a doctors' association, to file their responses to the Centre's affidavit on proposed changes to the NEET-UG examination, including a possible shift from pen-and-paper to computer-based testing.
A bench of Justices PS Narasimha and Alok Aradhe said it would hear the matter next on August 19, allowing the petitioners to submit their replies and suggestions to the Centre's response.
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Appearing for the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA), advocate Tanvi Dubey said that if the government decides to move NEET-UG to a computer-based format, the change should be announced at the earliest as students are currently preparing for a pen-and-paper examination.
The bench said it would consider all aspects of the issue and asked the parties to place their responses and suggestions on record.
Senior advocate Pijush Kanti Roy and advocate Satyam Singh Rajput represented RJD MP Sudhakar Singh, whose plea seeks reforms in the National Testing Agency (NTA), the body that conducts NEET-UG.
In its affidavit, the Centre said a shift in NEET-UG from pen-and-paper testing to a computer-based examination is under active consideration. The government is considering either a single-stage or two-stage format modelled on the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main and Advanced.
The Centre said the final decision would be taken after considering recommendations from the high-powered task force headed by Nandan Nilekani.
According to the affidavit, the task force includes experts from technology, space, intelligence, academia and public administration. Its mandate covers the technological, security, equity, infrastructure and pedagogical aspects of any proposed transition.
The government also told the court that it has undertaken a comprehensive overhaul of the NEET examination process to prevent paper leaks and address systemic shortcomings.
The affidavit came in response to the Supreme Court's May 29 order, which sought details from the Centre on how NEET examinations would be conducted in future and how regulatory bodies would develop and preserve institutional memory to strengthen examination processes over time.
The Centre further pointed to the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Act, 2026, saying Parliament had strengthened the legal framework against examination fraud. The law builds on the 2024 legislation that criminalised offences including question paper leaks, impersonation, tampering with computer systems and other forms of malpractice.
One of the petitions before the court has sought the replacement or restructuring of the NTA with a stronger, autonomous body to conduct the medical entrance examination.
The NTA had cancelled NEET-UG on May 12, after the May 3 examination was hit by allegations of a paper leak. A retest was subsequently held on June 21.
The alleged paper leak is being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The Supreme Court had faced similar concerns in 2024 after allegations that NEET-UG questions had been leaked. It declined to cancel the examination but issued several directions to strengthen safeguards against paper leaks and laid down criteria for cancelling public examinations.
(With inputs from PTI)
