The ongoing crisis over the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) Undergraduate 2026 reached the steps of the highest court today. A prominent medical association moved the Supreme Court, demanding that the National Testing Agency (NTA) be replaced or fundamentally restructured following severe allegations of a question paper leak and widespread irregularities.  

The development follows the NTA's recent decision to cancel the May 3 examination, which has left over 22 lakh medical aspirants facing severe academic uncertainty and mental stress. An investigation by CBI has already been ordered to look into the breach, which reportedly involved a "guess paper" syndicate operating across multiple states.  

Seeking structural overhaul & judicial scrutiny 

The petition, filed by the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) through advocate Tanvi Dubey, urges the apex court to intervene directly. Rather than letting the NTA handle the upcoming re-test independently, the medical body has asked for the creation of a "more robust, technologically advanced, and autonomous body" to take over national medical admissions.  

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Furthermore, the plea explicitly asks for the immediate implementation of a judicially appointed high-powered monitoring committee to oversee the re-conduct of the examination. The doctors' body proposed that this committee be chaired by a retired Supreme Court judge and include a cybersecurity expert and a forensic scientist to ensure the next process remains secure.  

Key demands highlighted in the petition 

• Transition to Computer-Based Test (CBT): The plea urges a complete shift away from pen-and-paper exams to eliminate the physical chain-of-custody risks.  
• Digital locking systems: Implementing mandatory digital locks on question papers to curb transit leaks.  
• Four-week CBI status report: Mandating the CBI to file a comprehensive progress report outlining the networks operating behind the leak and the details of arrests made.  
• Transparency in results: Directing the NTA to immediately publish centre-wise results of the cancelled exam to openly detect any mathematical abnormalities or localized cheating spikes.  

The petition argues that the current centralized framework has failed to safeguard the integrity of India's medical entrance system, systematically penalizing honest candidates. 

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“Direct the reconduct of the NEET-UG 2026 under the strict scrutiny of a judicially appointed high-powered committee until an interim oversight committee constituted by the apex court has verified and certified the security of the revised examination process,” the petition sought. 

Published on: May 16, 2026 2:54 PM IST