Archive · 7 Aug 2026
Supreme Court to examine NEET reforms and computer-based exams
There is a very important exam in India called NEET, which students take to get into medical school and become doctors.
Right now, students take this exam by writing answers on paper with a pen.
The government is thinking about changing NEET so students take it on computers instead.
Some people who care about the exam have asked the Supreme Court, the highest court in India, to help make the exam fairer.
They think the group that runs the exam, called the NTA, should be replaced with a different, independent group.
The government says that seven out of eight big exams it runs are already done on computers.
It is still deciding whether NEET should be a computer test in one part or two parts.
The judges will meet again on August 19 to hear everyone's ideas.
The people who complained have been asked to write down their answers, and then the judges will decide what is fair for all students.
The Supreme Court will examine the Centre's NEET reform affidavit on August 19, including a possible shift to computer-based exams.
The government is considering whether NEET (UG) should be held in a single phase or a two-stage format like JEE-Mains and Advanced.
PIL petitioners want the National Testing Agency (NTA) replaced with an independent body.
The NTA conducted seven of its eight major exams in computer mode, with NEET (UG) the only major exam still in pen-and-paper mode.
The bench of Justices Pamidighantam Sri Narasimha and Alok S. Aradhe asked petitioners to file responses to the Centre's latest affidavit.
- Who
- The Supreme Court of India, the Centre (central government), and petitioners in the PIL seeking NEET reforms.
- What
- Review of the government's NEET reform affidavit, including switching NEET (UG) from pen-and-paper to a computer-based exam.
- When
- Next hearing scheduled for August 19.
- Where
- Supreme Court of India.
- Why
- Petitioners have sought reforms, including replacing the NTA with an independent body, and the government is weighing a computer-based exam format.
Petitioners seeking reform
Government response
Exam conducting body
Petitioners seeking reform
The National Testing Agency should be replaced with an independent body to ensure fair exams.
Government response
Instead, reforms should proceed through migration of NEET (UG) to a computer-based mode, which is under active consideration by all stakeholders.
- Next hearing
- August 19
- Court bench
- Justices Pamidighantam Sri Narasimha and Alok S. Aradhe
- Current NEET (UG) format
- Pen-and-paper
- Format under review
- Computer-based mode, single-stage or two-stage
- NTA major exams in computer mode
- 7 of 8
- Computer-mode exams cited
- JEE (Mains), CUET (Undergraduate), CUET (Postgraduate), UGC-NET, CSIR-NET
- Petitioners' demand
- Replace NTA with an independent body
- Government affidavit filed by
- Pankaj Kumar Sinha, under-secretary, ministry of education