The Supreme Court has sharply criticised the National Testing Agency (NTA) in the NEET question paper leak matter, saying it is disappointing that the agency has not learned from past mistakes.
NEET, the nationwide entrance test for undergraduate medical admissions, was held on May 3 this year, with over 22 lakh candidates appearing. Ahead of the exam, complaints surfaced that the question paper had leaked on social media.
After the leak was established, the NTA announced on May 12 that the completed exam would be cancelled and said a re-test would be conducted on June 21. The development left students shocked, while raids were carried out in several cities including Delhi, Jaipur, Gurugram, Nashik, and Pune, leading to the arrest of 11 people, including alleged middlemen.
Petitions filed by the Federation of All India Medical Associations and the United Doctors Front sought removal of the NTA from conducting NEET and the creation of a new autonomous body. They also urged that NEET be conducted fully as a computer-based test to prevent leaks.
Hearing the matter, a bench of Justices P.S. Narasimha and Alok Aradhe noted that a monitoring committee had been formed on the Supreme Court’s directions after the 2024 leak and that it had made recommendations. The court directed the NTA to file a detailed affidavit on what happened to those recommendations and the current status of the committee, and adjourned the hearing to May 29 after ordering copies to be served on the Solicitor General and concerned officials.
