From Paper Leaks to Permanent Safeguards: SC Pushes NTA for NEET Overhaul

The Supreme Court on Wednesday said NEET reforms must be institutionalised, warning that safeguards cannot remain temporary measures that look effective on paper but change from one examination to another. A bench of Justices P S Narasimha and Alok Aradhe said the National Testing Agency (NTA) needs a robust system with institutional memory, specialised expertise, infrastructure, manpower and technology.

The observation came during hearing of petitions linked to NEET-UG irregularities. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the court that the present question-paper chain is secure. Multiple moderators prepare question banks without knowing which questions will be selected. Question papers are handled under sealed protocols, printing presses have CCTV surveillance, and vehicles transporting papers are GPS-tracked. Safeguards continue until controlled distribution at examination centres.

The court, however, stressed that describing a process as “foolproof” is not enough. It wants reforms embedded within the NTA so that expertise and security practices survive personnel changes and future exams. The court cited the need for an institution capable of building expertise and continuity, rather than relying on fresh committees or ad-hoc responses.

The court directed the Centre to file a fresh affidavit within three weeks, detailing the steps taken to implement the recommendations of the seven-member Radhakrishnan Committee. The affidavit must also explain how those recommendations have been reflected or refined by the Nandan Nilekani-led task force, which is examining structural and technological reforms.

The Centre has been asked to spell out progress in strengthening NTA infrastructure, manpower and technological capabilities, along with indicative timelines for recommendations that remain pending. The exercise is therefore intended to create a measurable reform roadmap rather than assurances.

The Radhakrishnan blueprint covers secure question-paper handling, data security, candidate authentication, examination-centre safeguards and NTA restructuring, while the Nilekani exercise focuses on deeper technological and structural modernisation.

For the Supreme Court, the central issue is continuity: reforms must become part of NTA’s permanent operating architecture. That, it believes, is essential to restore confidence in NEET and prevent security failures from recurring.