The Supreme Court on Monday, 25 May, pulled up the National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), over the 2026 paper leak, saying the agency has not yet learnt lessons despite multiple directions. The court also asked the NTA to file a compliance affidavit of the court-appointed monitoring committee in the 2024 NEET paper leak matter by Thursday, 28 May.
The Supreme Court noted that after the NEET- Undergraduate (UG) paper was leaked in 2024, it had constituted a high-powered committee, its recommendations were accepted, and a monitoring committee was established to oversee implementation of reforms in the examination system.
The court said, “We also direct K. Radhakrishnan, appointed as the Chairman of the monitoring committee, to file an affidavit indicating compliance with the Court's directions. List this matter on Thursday.”
“It's sad that they have not learnt lesson on NEET paper leak despite several directions,” the Supreme Court said on the plea against NTA.
Pea to replace NTA with autonomous body
It also sought a response from the Centre, NTA and the CBI on pleas for the replacement of the testing agency with a robust and autonomous body to conduct the medical entrance exam.
The NEET paper leak petitions were heard by a bench of Justices PS Narasimha and Alok Aradhe.
The Supreme Court bench also directed that a copy of the petitions be served to Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, besides other parties.
The court said, “The matter travelled to this court earlier also. There was a committee, a monitoring committee which made some recommendations and they were accepted. We want NTA to file an affidavit on the steps taken for compliance of recommendations suggested by the committee.”
The Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA), which filed the plea, has urged the Supreme Court for direct restructuring or replacement of NTA, citing recurring paper leaks.
The undergraduate-level National Eligibility cum Entrance Test held on 3 May by the NTA for admissions to medical education programmes was cancelled on 12 May amid allegations of paper leak, which are now being probed by the CBI.
Meanwhile, a Delhi court on Monday sent Pune-based physics lecturer Manisha Sanjay Havaldar to six days of CBI custody in the NEET paper leak case, allowing the agency to interrogate her. The agency had argued that Sanjay Havaldar was working as a translator for the NEET-UG and circulated the physics question paper.
The CBI arrested Havaldar on 22 May. She was then brought before the court on transit remand.
According to the CBI, Havaldar, employed with the Seth Hiralal Saraf Prashala in Pune, was another key accused, who was the source of the NEET-UG 2026 physics question leak.
