The submission forms part of the government’s first affidavit filed under Education Minister Pralhad Joshi, who was assigned the portfolio after Dharmendra Pradhan resigned from the Union Council of Ministers on July 25. Joshi continues to hold his existing Cabinet responsibilities alongside the additional charge of education.
The affidavit was filed after a Bench comprising Justice P S Narasimha and Justice Alok Aradhe directed the Centre and the National Testing Agency to explain the progress made in implementing structural reforms. The court is hearing petitions filed by the Federation of All India Medical Association and the United Doctors Front following allegations of systemic failures within the testing agency.
Both organisations have sought an overhaul of the examination framework. Their demands include replacing the NTA in its present form with an independent statutory authority, strengthening accountability and introducing safeguards against question-paper leaks and other forms of malpractice.
The Centre said a decision on conducting NEET-UG as a computer-based test would be taken after consultations with stakeholders and consideration of recommendations from a high-powered task force. Candidates would be given adequate notice before any change in the examination format.
NEET-UG continues to be conducted through pen-and-paper testing because of the scale of the examination and the need to provide access to candidates across urban and rural areas. The government said these factors required careful assessment before the test could be moved fully online.
Most other major examinations administered by the NTA, including JEE Main, CUET-UG, CUET-PG, UGC-NET and CSIR-NET, are already conducted through computer-based systems. NEET-UG remains the agency’s largest major entrance test using an offline question paper and optical mark recognition sheets.
A task force headed by Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani has been constituted to recommend end-to-end reforms in public examinations. Its members include former ISRO chairman S Somanath, former Intelligence Bureau director Tapan Deka, IIT Madras director V Kamakoti, former school education secretary Anita Karwal and former Bihar chief secretary Amit Lal Meena.
The panel has been given three months to examine the testing process and recommend measures covering technology, security, logistics, transparency and institutional accountability. Its findings are expected to influence the government’s decision on whether NEET-UG should follow the computer-based model used for engineering and university entrance tests.
The government also cited the Public Examinations Amendment Act, 2026, as part of its response to organised examination fraud. The law provides tougher penalties for question-paper leaks, impersonation, manipulation of computer networks and participation in organised cheating operations.
The affidavit described a multi-layered security system adopted for NEET-UG after recommendations from a committee headed by former ISRO chairman K Radhakrishnan. The procedures cover question-setting, printing, packaging, transportation, storage, distribution, candidate verification, evaluation and the declaration of results.
Question papers are prepared by subject specialists assembled at secured locations and kept in isolation during the process. Multiple paper sets are placed in tamper-resistant packaging, while digital tracking and surveillance systems are used during transportation and storage.
For the June 21 re-examination, authorities deployed more than 51,000 signal jammers and about 138,000 closed-circuit television cameras. Nearly 87,000 personnel were assigned to frisking, biometric verification and security duties at examination centres.
The question-paper boxes were protected through six layers of packaging and monitored through QR codes and Aadhaar-linked tracking. Armed escorts, surveillance cameras and restricted-access protocols were used to prevent any individual from gaining unsupervised control over the papers.
The Centre declined to disclose detailed standard operating procedures, arguing that public release of sensitive security arrangements could weaken safeguards. It maintained that the systems were designed to ensure that responsibilities were distributed across officials and agencies.
During earlier hearings, the Supreme Court questioned the NTA’s dependence on temporary arrangements and called for institutional continuity, fixed accountability and permanent safeguards. The Bench observed that established examination bodies had developed operational knowledge over decades, while the NTA needed stronger internal systems and a stable administrative structure.
The petitions arose after NEET-UG 2026 was cancelled amid allegations that the question paper had circulated through online messaging platforms. The controversy triggered demands for a court-supervised re-examination, action against responsible officials and a restructuring of the NTA.
(IPA Service)
