Archive · 19 Aug 2026
Supreme Court Seeks Continuity in National Testing Agency Reforms
The Supreme Court is checking how the National Testing Agency runs important exams.
It said the agency should keep useful reforms instead of starting over whenever a new committee is formed.
The court wants the agency to remember what worked in earlier exams.
It also asked whether the agency has enough technology, cybersecurity and safe storage systems.
The government has created a new task force led by Nandan Nilekani.
The government says it is also recording lessons after every exam.
The discussion follows leaks of the 2026 NEET-UG question paper.
The court wants exam improvements to continue from one group of officials to the next.
The Supreme Court urged the government to institutionalise reforms within the National Testing Agency.
The court cautioned against replacing one committee with another without preserving earlier recommendations.
Justice PS Narasimha questioned the implementation of the K Radhakrishnan committee’s recommendations.
The government defended the Nandan Nilekani task force and proposed a permanent mechanism for maintaining reform continuity.
The court’s scrutiny follows the 2026 NEET-UG paper leaks, exam cancellation, protests and a CBI investigation.
- Who
- The Supreme Court, the Union government, the National Testing Agency, and petitioners including the Federation of All India Medical Association and United Doctors Front.
- What
- The court called for lasting, institutionalised NTA reforms and questioned the government about implementing an earlier committee’s recommendations.
- When
- The hearing took place on Wednesday; the report was published on August 19, 2026.
- Where
- Before the Supreme Court.
- Why
- The scrutiny follows the 2026 NEET-UG paper leaks and concerns about recurring, systemic failures in conducting the examination.
Supreme Court’s concerns
Government’s response
Continuity of reforms
Supreme Court’s concerns
The court warned against repeatedly forming committees and discarding earlier recommendations. It called for reforms to become part of NTA’s institutional memory.
Government’s response
The government agreed that a permanent mechanism is needed and said it is creating an institutional memory bank based on lessons from each examination.
Role of the new task force
Supreme Court’s concerns
The court said the Nilekani task force should not automatically replace the earlier Radhakrishnan committee’s work and asked the government to explain what had already been implemented.
Government’s response
The government presented the Nilekani task force as a major technological reform measure, while the Solicitor General suggested that K Radhakrishnan could join it.
Exam security and preparedness
Supreme Court’s concerns
Justice PS Narasimha questioned whether the NTA has adequate infrastructure, software, cybersecurity and storage systems to meet changing technological challenges.
Government’s response
The government said it was taking measures to prevent future leaks and would consult the Health Ministry and National Medical Commission before making structural changes to NEET-UG.
- New task force
- A task force chaired by Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani was formed to introduce technological reforms for NTA examinations.
- Earlier committee
- The K Radhakrishnan committee made recommendations on improving NTA examination processes and institutional memory.
- Court’s central concern
- Reforms should continue across successive generations of NTA officers rather than being reversed after personnel changes.
- NEET-UG impact
- The 2026 question-paper leaks led to cancellation of the exams and affected more than 23 lakh medical aspirants.
- Government measures
- The government cited the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act of 2026 and the Nilekani task force as measures against future leaks.
- Institutional memory bank
- The government said it is preparing a formal Learnings Note after each public examination to record problems, actions and practices to retain.