Rajeev Sharma :- The controversy surrounding the NEET-UG paper leak has now reached the Supreme Court, with a petition seeking the replacement of the National Testing Agency (NTA) and the creation of a new independent examination body. The plea, filed by the Federation of All India Medical Associations (FAIMA), has also sought directions to the CBI to submit a status report within four weeks regarding the ongoing investigation into the alleged leak.
The petition has raised serious concerns over the credibility and functioning of the NTA, demanding structural reforms in the examination system. It has urged the apex court to order a fresh conduct of the NEET-UG 2026 examination under judicial supervision. According to the plea, the re-examination should be monitored by a high-level committee headed by a retired Supreme Court judge, along with experts in cyber security and forensic science.
One of the key demands made in the petition is the establishment of a new autonomous and technology-driven body, proposed to be named the National Examination Integrity Commission (NEIC). Until such a body is constituted, the petitioners have sought that the court-appointed panel oversee all examination security protocols and approvals.
The plea has further recommended that question papers be digitally encrypted and secured to prevent leaks. It has also advocated shifting the examination from the traditional offline format to a Computer-Based Test (CBT) model in order to eliminate the risks associated with physical transportation of question papers.
The controversy escalated after reports of a paper leak surfaced in Rajasthan, following which the NTA decided to cancel the NEET-UG examination. The Centre later handed over the investigation to the CBI. Authorities suspect that the alleged paper leak network may have links across five states. More than 2.2 million students had appeared for the examination conducted on May 3.
