SC Seeks Replies on Centre’s Proposal to Shift NEET-UG to Computer-Based Mode

The Supreme Court on Thursday sought responses from petitioners, including the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA), on the Centre’s affidavit regarding proposed reforms in the NEET-UG examination system. The court said the matter will be heard on August 19.

A bench of Justices PS Narasimha and Alok Aradhe asked the petitioners to file their replies and suggestions on the government’s proposal to consider moving NEET-UG from the existing pen-and-paper format to a computer-based test (CBT) model.Advocate Tanvi Dubey, appearing for FAIMA, told the court that if the transition is approved, it should be introduced at the earliest as students are currently preparing based on the offline examination format. The bench said all concerns would be examined before reaching any conclusion.

In its affidavit, the Centre said the migration of NEET-UG to a computer-based mode either through a single-stage or two-stage format similar to the JEE Main and Advanced pattern is under active consideration. The government said the final decision would be taken after reviewing recommendations from a high-powered task force led by Nandan Nilekani.The Centre stated that the panel, which includes experts from technology, space, intelligence, academia and public administration, is assessing various aspects of the transition, including examination security, infrastructure, accessibility and fairness.

The government also informed the court that it has initiated a major overhaul of the NEET examination process to address concerns related to paper leaks and systemic failures. It pointed to the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Act, 2026, which strengthens legal action against examination fraud, including question paper leaks, impersonation and tampering with computer systems.

The affidavit was submitted following the Supreme Court’s earlier directive seeking details on how future NEET examinations would be conducted and how authorities would improve examination management over time.Several petitions have also demanded reforms in the National Testing Agency (NTA), including restructuring the body responsible for conducting NEET-UG. The issue intensified after the May 3 NEET-UG exam was cancelled following paper leak allegations, with a retest held on June 21. The matter is currently under CBI investigation.