NTA tells Supreme Court it has undertaken wide-ranging security reforms after NEET-UG 2026 paper leak row
New Delhi, May 29
The National Testing Agency has informed the Supreme Court that it has undertaken wide-ranging structural and security reforms following the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak controversy and the subsequent cancellation of the examination.
The matter pertains to pleas filed by the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) and the United Doctors Front (UDF), which have sought a structural overhaul of the examination body over alleged irregularities in the conduct of NEET-UG 2026.
In its affidavit, the NTA stated that a High-Powered Steering Committee (HPSC), in a meeting held on April 17, 2026, reviewed preparations for NEET-UG 2026 and recommended extensive pre-exam, during-exam and post-exam safeguards. These included mandatory CCTV checks and preservation of footage for at least 90 days, mock drills at examination centres, weather-based contingency planning, verification of power backup systems, emergency medical facilities, and detailed inspections of centres in the week preceding the examination.
The committee also recommended post-examination forensic analysis of CCTV footage to detect anomalies and irregular conduct that may not be identifiable in real time.
The affidavit further stated that the HPSC will reconvene after the conduct of NEET-UG 2026 to deliberate, in consultation with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, whether future NEET examinations should be conducted in Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode or continue in Pen-and-Paper Test (PPT) mode.
The NTA also informed the Court that several recommendations of the High-Level Committee of Experts (HLCE) have already been implemented or are at an advanced stage of implementation.
As part of the restructuring process, 16 new senior posts have been created within the NTA, including Director and Joint Director-level positions. Two Joint Secretary-level officers have been designated as Additional Director Generals to supervise technology operations and test security, respectively. A Secretary-level officer was also appointed as Director General of the NTA in March 2026.
The agency further stated that domain experts from institutions such as IITs, UGC, CBSE, KVS and IGNOU have been engaged to strengthen examination management and security mechanisms.
On institutional coordination, the NTA said that State-Level Coordination Committees (SLCCs) and District-Level Coordination Committees (DLCCs) have been constituted across the country to ensure the secure conduct of examinations.
According to the affidavit, 18 SLCCs and 621 DLCCs had been operationalised by the time NEET-UG 2026 was conducted on May 3, 2026. These committees include officials from the administration, police, intelligence agencies, NIC and NTA to strengthen surveillance and coordination during examinations.
— ANI
Reader Comments
I'm a parent of a NEET aspirant and the anxiety was unreal last time. These reforms sound promising but why is it taking so long to decide between CBT and pen-paper? After the leak, many of us expected immediate digital shift. Anyway, let's hope the HPSC reconvenes soon and takes a firm decision.
Good to see IITs, UGC, CBSE and even KVS and IGNOU experts being roped in. The NTA clearly needed more technical firepower. But I still worry about the 621 district-level committees — coordination across so many bodies can become chaotic. Let's see how it works in practice. 🤔
The forensic analysis of CCTV footage is a game changer — detecting irregularities after the exam is just as important as preventing them during. But do these bodies have the manpower and expertise for that? I hope the HLCE recommendations are genuinely implemented, not just filed away.
Yaar, finally! But why only 16 new senior posts? The NTA handles multiple exams — JEE, NEET, CUET — it needs a whole restructuring, not just a few Director-level additions. Also, weather-based contingency? Sounds like they're just covering all bases after the fiasco. Kuch toh karna tha na! 😅
As a medical student, I can't stress how much the 2026 leak affected thousands of deserving candidates. These reforms are welcome, but the real test is transparency. Will the CCTV footage actually be reviewed? Will the HPSC meetings be made public? Without oversight, this is all just damage control.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.