Supreme Court refuses plea to hold NEET-UG 2026 re-test in CBT mode

PTC Web Desk:  The Supreme Court on Monday refused to pass an immediate order directing the National Testing Agency (NTA) to conduct the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination in computer-based test (CBT) mode instead of the existing pen-and-paper format.

A bench comprising Justices PS Narasimha and Aravind Kumar said it was not inclined to interfere at this stage, especially when the agency is already dealing with the fallout of the recent paper leak controversy and cancellation of the examination.

The matter came up during the hearing of a petition filed by Rashtriya Janata Dal MP Sudhakar Singh, who had sought several directions related to the conduct of the NEET examination. During Monday’s proceedings, the petitioner limited his request to only one demand, conducting the re-test through CBT mode.

However, the court observed that similar requests had already been rejected earlier. The bench also pointed out that the authorities were facing immense pressure after the examination was cancelled and rescheduled.

The judges noted that changing the examination pattern at the last moment could create further complications. The court eventually decided to defer the issue until after the summer vacation, effectively allowing the June 21 re-test to proceed in the traditional offline mode.

The petition has now been linked with a larger batch of cases seeking reforms in the functioning of the NTA and the conduct of national-level competitive examinations.

Earlier, on May 29, another bench led by Justice Narasimha had expressed concern over repeated irregularities in NEET examinations. The court had said that incidents like paper leaks were deeply disturbing for students and families and stressed the need for fixing accountability within the system.

The NTA, in an affidavit submitted before the court, informed that NEET-UG is currently the only major examination conducted in pen-and-paper mode. It also said that an expert committee formed after the 2024 controversy had recommended shifting the exam to CBT mode along with multi-session testing.

According to the agency, the proposal is still under discussion with the Union Health Ministry and the National Medical Commission. The NTA also highlighted several reforms being planned, including AI-based CCTV surveillance, secure test centres, cybersecurity upgrades and mobile jammers at examination venues.

Meanwhile, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) continues to probe the alleged paper leak and cheating racket linked to NEET-UG 2026.