New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday declared that it will closely monitor the structural reforms being undertaken to overhaul the National Testing Agency (NTA), emphasizing that recurring examination paper leaks and ad-hoc security measures cannot continue to compromise student futures. A division bench comprising Justice P.S. Narasimha and Justice Alok Aradhe noted that temporary solutions—such as deploying military transport for question papers—fail to address systemic vulnerabilities, underscoring the necessity for permanent institutional mechanisms.
Hearing a batch of petitions filed by the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) and other medical student bodies, the court directed the Union Government and the NTA to file a comprehensive status report detailing specific progress on key reform parameters. The bench instructed the government to outline its implementation of the K. Radhakrishnan Committee’s recommendations, the proposed governing board structure, stakeholder participation, and the potential adoption of testing models utilized by the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs).
Appearing for the Centre, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta assured the bench that the administration is taking extensive measures supervised at the highest executive levels to strengthen examination integrity. Mehta indicated that the government’s upcoming affidavit will detail a holistic reform plan that goes beyond initial committee recommendations, covering pre-exam protocols, question paper encryption, and the feasibility of transitioning NEET to a computer-based testing (CBT) format with robust cybersecurity safeguards.
The top court posted the matter for further hearing to August 3, reiterating that judicial oversight will remain active throughout the examination cycle to ensure complete transparency, data security, and accountability within the national testing system.
