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The Economic Times
The Economic Times

Medical body moves SC after NEET-UG 2026 cancellation, seeks NTA chief’s resignation

A daya after the NEET-UG 2026 exams were scrapped owing to allegations of paper leakage, the Federation of All India Medical Association said on Wednesday that it has moved the Supreme Court over the controversy.

FAIMA Chief Patron Dr Rohan Krishnan said the organisation had filed a Public Interest Litigation and accused the National Testing Agency of repeated failures.

Accusing the NTA of repeated failures, Krishnan said the agency had “constantly failed in performing its duties” and demanded that its director step down on moral grounds.

Also Read | NEET-UG 2026 cancelled amid paper leak allegations, re-exam likely in June

"The Federation of All India Medical Association has filed PIL in the Supreme Court over the issue of NEET exam issue. We believe that National Testing Agency (NTA) has constantly failed in performing its duties. NTA's director should resign taking moral responsibility of what has happened," he said in an official video statement.

The plea, filed through advocate Tanvi Dubey, seeks a wider overhaul of the national examination framework and urges the court to consider replacing the NTA with a more autonomous and technologically equipped institution to conduct high-stakes entrance tests.

Also Read | NEET-UG 2026 leak row: NTA faces criticism over repeated exam glitches and mismanagement

In addition, FAIMA has also urged the apex court to constitute a high-powered monitoring committee headed by a retired Supreme Court judge, along with cybersecurity and forensic experts, to supervise the re-conduct of the NEET-UG 2026 examination.

The petition refers to reports that “guess papers” circulating through encrypted platforms such as WhatsApp and Telegram allegedly matched more than 100 questions from the actual examination paper.

NEET-UG 2026 called off after Telegram paper leakage

The development comes amid nationwide outrage after the NTA cancelled the May 3 NEET-UG 2026 examination, which was attended by nearly 23 lakh aspirants.

The exam agency said the decision was taken after receiving inputs from investigative agencies suggesting that the integrity of the examination may have been compromised.

According to officials, a so-called “guess paper” containing hundreds of questions allegedly circulated through Telegram groups and other channels ahead of the examination.

Investigators suspect the racket may involve organised interstate networks operating through coaching centres and counselling agents, particularly in Rajasthan’s Sikar district, which has emerged as the focal point of the probe.

The Centre has since handed over the matter to the CBI for a comprehensive investigation. NTA has maintained that the re-examination, likely to be held in early June, is necessary to protect the credibility of the national testing system.

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