Supreme Court Declines to Mandate Online NEET UG 2026 Retest
The Supreme Court of India on Monday refused to issue directives for the retest of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) Undergraduate exam for 2026 to be conducted in a computer-based format. The plea sought to replace the conventional pen-and-paper method with a digital approach. A bench comprising Justices P.S. Narasimha and Aravind Kumar expressed their reluctance to interfere with the examination process, especially given the proximity of the rescheduled date on June 21, 2026.
Justice P.S. Narasimha remarked, “There is no question. The examination got canceled, and they are re-holding the examination. The kind of pressure that they [NTA] have…” The case has been adjourned for further hearing on July 27, 2026.
The petition was brought forward by Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) Member of Parliament Sudhakar Singh, social activist Anubhav Garg, Indian Medical Association national spokesperson Dhruv Chauhan, and political leader Harisharan Devgan. This action follows the recent scandal involving leaked question papers for the NEET UG 2026, which serves as a crucial entrance exam for candidates aiming to secure admission into both government and private medical colleges across India.
Petitioners argued for an immediate switch to a Computer-Based Test (CBT) format, particularly for the upcoming retest on June 21, 2026. However, this request was dismissed by the apex court. The plea is part of a series of petitions filed in light of the Union government’s and the National Testing Agency’s (NTA) decision to nullify the NEET-UG 2026 conducted on May 3, due to the paper leak incident.
The Union government has initiated a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe to explore the allegations surrounding the paper leak. During the previous court session, it was revealed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is personally overseeing the developments related to this issue.
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The court further inquired into the government’s plans to revamp the NTA in response to the ongoing controversy, underscoring the significance of maintaining the integrity and reliability of crucial national examinations like NEET-UG.
