The Federation of All India Medical Associations (FAIMA) has filed a petition in the Supreme Court, alleging systemic failures by the National Testing Agency (NTA) in conducting the NEET-UG 2026 examination and seeking a complete overhaul of the testing body, along with a court-monitored re-examination.
The petition, filed through advocate Tanvi Dubey, urges the court to direct the Union Government to replace or fundamentally restructure the NTA with a more robust, technologically advanced, and autonomous institution for future NEET examinations. It also calls for the immediate re-conduct of NEET-UG 2026 under judicial supervision to restore credibility to the medical entrance process.
Central to the plea is the demand for a High-Powered Monitoring Committee, chaired by a retired Supreme Court judge and including a cybersecurity expert and a forensic scientist. This committee would oversee the re-examination until a proposed National Examination Integrity Commission (NEIC), or a court-constituted interim body, certifies the new process as secure.
FAIMA has further sought specific reforms, including digital locking of question papers and a shift to a fully Computer-Based Test (CBT) format to eliminate vulnerabilities arising from the physical handling and transportation of exam materials. The petition also asks for centre-wise publication of results, as and when available, to allow transparent detection of irregularities.
The move comes after the NTA cancelled the NEET-UG 2026 exam held on May 3 amid widespread allegations of a paper leak. Reports indicated that "guess papers" circulated on platforms such as WhatsApp and Telegram matched over 100 questions from the actual paper. The Centre subsequently handed over the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
In its plea, FAIMA has requested the Supreme Court to direct the CBI to submit a status report within four weeks, detailing the network identified, arrests made, persons charged, and progress in prosecution.
According to NTA statements, the agency received information about alleged malpractices on May 7 and forwarded it to central agencies the following day. On May 12, the NTA announced the cancellation of the May 3 examination and plans for a re-test on fresh dates, citing inputs from law enforcement agencies that the integrity of the process had been compromised. The agency emphasised that the decision was taken to protect students' interests and maintain trust in the system.
The Supreme Court is yet to list the matter for hearing.
