The Supreme Court on Monday declined to entertain a plea seeking the conduct of the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination in computer-based test (CBT) mode, observing that the National Testing Agency (NTA) is already dealing with significant challenges following the cancellation of the exam.
A bench comprising Justices P. S. Narasimha and Aravind Kumar posted the petition, filed by RJD MP Sudhakar Singh and others, for hearing on July 27. However, the court made it clear that the June 21 re-test would not be conducted in CBT mode and would proceed as scheduled under the existing pen-and-paper format.
“There is no question of conducting the re-examination in CBT mode. They (the NTA) are already having too many problems. The examination was cancelled, and now it is being re-conducted. Either we dismiss this petition now or after the vacation,” the bench remarked during the hearing.
Appearing for the petitioners, advocate Satyam Singh Rajput informed the court that the only relief being pressed was the request to hold the re-test in CBT mode. The bench, however, noted that similar petitions had been dismissed earlier.
When Rajput reiterated concerns about conducting the examination physically, Justice Narasimha advised him to appreciate the pressure currently being faced by the NTA.
The NEET-UG 2026 examination, originally conducted on May 3, was cancelled by the NTA on May 12 following allegations of a question paper leak. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is currently probing the matter, while a fresh examination has been scheduled for June 21.
During an earlier hearing on May 29, the Supreme Court observed that students should not be disappointed and stressed that the larger issue of examination irregularities would persist until genuine accountability is established.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta had informed the court that the government was taking the concerns of students seriously and that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was personally monitoring the situation to ensure there were no lapses in the re-examination process. He also stated that additional safeguards and mechanisms had been introduced for the June 21 re-test.
The apex court is also hearing a batch of petitions seeking structural reforms in the examination system, including the replacement or restructuring of the NTA with a more robust and autonomous body.
In an affidavit submitted before the court, the NTA stated that it plans to conduct NEET-UG in CBT mode from next year onwards after consultations with the central government.
The controversy follows the alleged NEET paper leak of 2024, after which the Supreme Court had declined to cancel the examination but issued several directions aimed at preventing future paper leaks and strengthening the integrity of public examinations.
