After the 2026 question paper leaks and with NEET-UG 2027 just months away, the Union government told the Supreme Court on Friday (September 18, 2026) that a switch from the written examination to computer-based mode is still under “active consideration” and “something will have to be done”.
Appearing before a Bench of Justices P.S. Mr. Mr. K. Radhakrishnan. At least half of its workforce must be permanent employees rather than deputed officials. Open recruitments were underway to recruit specialists in its various departments, including security, human resources and research and development.
Narasimha and Alok Aradhe, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who also represents the National Testing Agency (NTA), was responding to a petitioner’s argument that the government must clarify the examination mode for NEET-UG 2027. The NTA has been under the Supreme Court’s scanner since the 2026 leaks, which left nearly 23 lakh students stranded, led to protests and violence in the national capital, and, ultimately, the resignation of the then Education Minister. Mehta said the task force may submit the report by the end of September 2026.
Mehta responded that both the government and the High-Powered Task Force chaired by Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani were “cognisant” of the issue. More recently, the government and the NTA were of the opinion in court to take the “final approach” to CBT mode only after considering the recommendations of the Nilekani task force. The top law officer said the Nilekani task force had already held consultations with the chairman of the High Powered Steering Committee (HPSC) on NTA Reforms, Dr. The HPSC had been constituted earlier to suggest measures for a comprehensive “clean-up” of systemic issues haunting the conduct of NEET-UG examinations. The court said the NTA should have structural stability through permanent offices and staff. The court said that the senior leadership must be drawn from diverse specialised services to build strong institutional memory, ensuring that the reforms persist even after officials are transferred out. The Bench said consultations with domain experts were an essential part of reform. The order referred to a government affidavit that said the NTA leadership had been “upgraded” with a secretary-level officer as its Director-General.
“The transition will be implemented from the next examination cycle in consultation with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (the client Ministry for NEET-UG) — thereby bringing all major NTA examinations onto the CBT platform,” the affidavit had said.
