NEET UGC 2026 leak: Petition filed to replace NTA, conduct re-exam under Supreme Court supervision

In the wake of the question paper leak controversy over the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test 2026 for undergraduate courses (NEET-UG 2026), the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) has moved the Supreme Court seeking an overhaul of the National Testing Agency (NTA) and a court-supervised re-conduct of the examination..Among its primary prayers, the petitioner has a direction to the Union of India to replace or fundamentally restructure the NTA with a more robust, technologically advanced, and autonomous body for conducting NEET..It has further urged the Court to re-conduct NEET-UG 2026 under the strict supervision of a judicially appointed, high-powered committee. The proposed committee, the plea states, should be chaired by a retired Supreme Court judge and include a cybersecurity expert and a forensic scientist to ensure the integrity of the examination process.The petition calls for interim oversight by such a committee pending the constitution of a National Examination Integrity Commission (NEIC), and asks it to supervise the re-examination and certify the security of the revised system before it is implemented..Additionally, the plea presses for structural and technological reforms, including mandatory “digital locking” of question papers. It also called a transition to a Computer-Based Test (CBT) model to eliminate risks associated with the physical handling and transportation of examination materials..Further, FAIMA has sought a direction to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to file a status report within four weeks detailing the progress of its probe into the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak, including the network uncovered, arrests made, and steps taken toward prosecution.For greater transparency, the petition also seeks publication of centre-wise results of NEET-UG 2026, as and when available, to enable detection of anomalies..The matter is yet to be listed for hearing..The petition was filed through advocate Tanvi Dubey..In a press release dated May 10, the National Testing Agency (NTA) said it received information on May 7 regarding alleged malpractice linked to the NEET-UG 2026 examination conducted on May 3.It stated that the information was forwarded to central agencies on May 8 for independent verification and action.Subsequently, in a May 12 press release, NTA announced that it had decided, with the approval of the Union government, to cancel the examination conducted on May 3 and re-conduct NEET-UG 2026 on fresh dates.“The inputs received by NTA, taken together with the findings shared by the law enforcement agencies, established that the present examination process could not be allowed to stand,” said the Agency..The Union government also referred the matter to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for a comprehensive inquiry, with NTA stating that it would extend full cooperation.NTA said the decision was taken in the interest of students and to preserve trust in the examination system.