NEET-UG re-exam on June 21 to be held in pen-and-paper mode, says Supreme Court

The Supreme Court rejected a plea to hold NEET-UG in CBT mode for this year's re-examination. The order means the June 21 test will go ahead in the existing pen-and-paper format.

In Short

• Rajya Sabha MP Sudhakar Singh sought computers instead of OMR sheets
• Justice P S Narasimha said a late format switch was impractical
• Judges warned nationwide exam changes now could disrupt students and authorities

The Supreme Court has dismissed a petition seeking to conduct the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test Undergraduate (NEET-UG) examination in the Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode, clearing the way for the re-examination to be held in the traditional pen-and-paper format.

The petition had been filed by Rajya Sabha MP Sudhakar Singh, who sought directions for conducting the medical entrance examination through computers instead of OMR answer sheets.

A vacation bench headed by Justice P.S. Narasimha said that introducing a major change in the examination mode at this stage was not practical.

The court observed that the National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts NEET-UG, is already dealing with several operational challenges and that shifting to a CBT format at the last moment would create difficulties for both students and the examination authorities.

The bench noted that changing the pattern or mode of a nationwide examination shortly before it is conducted could disrupt the entire process. As a result, the court declined to issue any direction for conducting this year's examination in the CBT mode.

With the order, it has become clear that the NEET-UG re-examination scheduled for June 21 will be conducted through the existing pen-and-paper system using OMR sheets.

NTA SAYS IT CAN SHIFT TO CBT FROM NEXT YEAR

During the hearing, the National Testing Agency informed the Supreme Court that it is preparing for a transition to the Computer-Based Test format in the future.

In an affidavit filed before the court, the NTA stated that it would be fully ready to conduct NEET-UG in CBT mode from 2027 onwards. The agency indicated that the required infrastructure and preparations would be in place by then.

The petitioner argued before the court that the request was limited to conducting the examination through computers and did not seek any other changes. However, the bench pointed out that a regular bench of the Supreme Court had earlier rejected a similar demand.

Taking note of the previous order and the practical difficulties involved, the vacation bench declined to interfere.

The court has now adjourned further hearing on the matter until July 27.

NEET-UG is one of India's largest entrance examinations and is used for admission to undergraduate medical courses across the country. The Supreme Court's latest order ensures that the upcoming re-examination will proceed under the existing system without any last-minute changes to the examination format.

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