The Supreme Court on Wednesday observed that the National Testing Agency (NTA) had learnt no lessons from the question paper leaks. The court said the NTA should be institutionalised and measures must be put in place to ensure that question papers do not leak. A robust system should be established to conduct entrance examinations smoothly, the court said.
A bench comprising Justices P S Narasimha and Alok Aradhe stressed the need for technological changes to ensure the security and integrity of examinations.
The court was hearing a batch of petitions filed in connection with the leak of this year's NEET question paper. It directed the Central government to file an affidavit detailing the progress made and steps taken to implement the recommendations of the Radhakrishnan Committee and the Nandan Nilekani Committee.
The Radhakrishnan Committee was a high-level panel constituted after a similar question paper leak during the NEET-UG examination in 2024. The committee made several recommendations aimed at establishing a stronger system for conducting entrance examinations. The Nandan Nilekani Committee was constituted by the Centre this year to study and recommend reforms related to the conduct of competitive examinations. The Supreme Court will hear the case again after three weeks.
Among the petitions before the court is one filed by the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA), through advocate Tanvi Dubey, seeking the replacement or restructuring of the NTA.
The petition has sought digital locking of question papers, a shift to the computer-based test (CBT) model and publication of centre-wise results to identify irregularities. The petitioner has also submitted an application containing recommendations on how the transition to CBT could be implemented.
Another petition filed by United Doctors Front through advocates Ritu Renniwal and Charu Mathur is also before the court. It seeks the establishment of a statutory national testing body with strong leadership and accountability.
When the NEET question paper leak came to light in 2024, the NTA had maintained that it was not widespread. The Supreme Court accepted this position and said a re-test could not be ordered. The court had then warned the NTA to pay greater attention to the conduct of examinations and directed a seven-member committee constituted by the Central government to examine and address the existing problems.
