NEET-UG 2026 cancelled to protect students’ interests: NTA tell Supreme Court

The National Testing Agency (NTA) told the Apex Court on Friday that the examination body's decision to cancel the NEET-UG 2026 examination and order a re-test was taken "in the interest of students".

The National Testing Agency (NTA) on Friday informed the Supreme Court that its decision to cancel the NEET-UG 2026 examination and order a re-test was taken "in the interest of students" along with the aim of preserving public confidence in the national examination system. 

There were batch of petitions lodged in the Supreme Court seeking reforms in the very conduct of NEET-UG. In an affidavit filed before the apex court, the NTA said the cancellation of the May 3 examination and handing over of the matter to the Central Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) showed the seriousness with which it viewed examination integrity.

“It is respectfully submitted that the cancellation of the NEET (UG) 2026 examination conducted on 03.05.2026, and the reference of the matter to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on 12.05.2026 for investigation, are themselves illustrative of the seriousness with which the Answering Respondent (NTA) and the Government of India view examination integrity,” the affidavit stated.

“The decision was taken in the interest of students and in recognition of the trust on which the national examination system rests,” it added.

The affidavit was submitted in accordance with the Supreme Court’s May 25 directive, which required the NTA to report on the implementation of recommendations made by a high-level committee headed by former ISRO Chairman K. Radhakrishnan after the NEET-UG 2024 controversy. 

As per the NTA the May 3 examination was conducted across 5,432 centres in 552 Indian cities and 14 international locations, with over 22 lakh candidates appearing under a reinforced security system that included biometric verification, AI-enabled CCTV monitoring, and mobile signal jammers.

The affidavit stated that the NTA received reports of alleged malpractice on the evening of May 7 and referred the matter to central agencies the next morning for verification. Following the findings provided by investigative authorities, the examination was cancelled and the case handed over to the CBI for a detailed investigation.

Defending its response, the NTA informed the Supreme Court that it acted in “good faith, with due diligence and in accordance with law” to safeguard both the integrity of the examination process and the interests of genuine aspirants.

It further added that full cooperation is being extended to the CBI in its ongoing probe.

The NTA further told the Supreme Court that the re-examination scheduled for June 21 would be conducted with a stronger security framework, involving closer coordination among Chief Secretaries, Directors General of Police, District Magistrates, the Department of Posts, and other relevant authorities.

It also stated that major reforms suggested by the Radhakrishnan Committee have either already been implemented or are at advanced stages of implementation. These include Aadhaar-linked biometric verification, AI-based CCTV surveillance, installation of mobile signal jammers at all exam centres, multi-tier oversight mechanisms, and institutional coordination with state and district authorities.

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The NTA further reaffirmed that the expert committee had suggested shifting NEET-UG from pen-and-paper to a computer-based test (CBT) format, and stated that this change would be introduced from the next examination cycle in coordination with the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Earlier this week, the Supreme Court issued notices to the Centre, the NTA, and other authorities on petitions seeking structural reforms in NEET-UG and an immediate move to CBT mode, noting that despite lessons from the 2024 controversy, concerns over exam integrity had resurfaced.

When the matter was taken up for hearing on Friday, it was passed over as Solicitor General Tushar Mehta was appearing before another Bench.

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With the IANS inputs