SC to Monitor NEET Paper Leak Investigation, Stern Security Measures in Transportation of Question paper for Retest
Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, May 29: The Supreme Court on Friday expressed reservations over cancellation of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test- Under Graduate (NEET –UG), 2026, over paper leak pointing out that such an eventuality was “traumatic” for the youths and said it would “monitor” for some time” the investigation into the paper leak.
Hearing a batch of petitions challenging NEET-UG cancellation conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA), a division bench headed by Justice PS Narsimha, which chastised the NTA, the federal body that administers competitive entrance tests for medical admissions, for not having learned lessons from previous leaks – said: “What happened is traumatic for the youth… you cannot disappoint youngsters this way.”
The Supreme Court was informed that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi was personally supervising the NEET-UG cancellation, following the paper leak. The submission was made by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta after the apex court sought a response from the government in an affidavit detailing how and in which manner the process and conclusion of the leak probe would be done. “Honourable Prime Minister is personally supervising,” Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the court.
The NTA in its affidavit told the apex court that its decision to cancel NEET-UG 2026 and hand over the investigation into the paper leak to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) ‘reflected the seriousness with which examination integrity was being treated’ by the agency and the Centre.
The agency filed the affidavit in the apex court over the corrective steps taken following NEET-UG paper leak. The NTA said the decision to cancel the examination was taken in the interest of students and in recognition of the trust underpinning the national examination system. It added that the agency was extending full cooperation to the CBI in the ongoing investigation.
According to the affidavit, the NTA has overhauled several aspects of the examination system, including question paper preparation, printing and transportation and storage protocols. Among the key changes, the agency has introduced multiple sets of question papers, with one set retained as a backup. Instead of the conventional A, B, C and D series, the papers will now carry special lengthy codes, and the sequencing of answer options varies across different sets.
The affidavit said printing protocols have been tightened through verification, monitoring and security arrangements. A designated senior officer will oversee the entire printing process, and the use of electronic devices has now been prohibited. All CCTV recordings will also be preserved.
The NTA said transportation of question paper trunks is now being carried out through India Post (a government entity), with a chain-of-custody protocols. The papers will be escorted by Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) from the printing press to nodal hubs. India Post will then transport the papers to district custodians, and then District Police will take them to examination centres.
The NTA said it has also issued detailed guidelines for receipt and storage of question-paper trunks by custodian banks. The trunks shall be received by the Custodian in the exam city and kept in safe custody, the affidavit said, with access restricted to authorised personnel. They can only be opened in a designated strong room or control room 45 minutes before the commencement of the examination.
The affidavit further stated that Confidential Operations (CONOPs) guidelines have been operationalised. A dedicated area has been carved out in the office for confidential work, while question paper setters would be isolated in insulated rooms without internet or mobile access. The rooms will be self-contained with storage space and pantry. Any rough work generated during the process would be shredded and question papers are stored in encrypted manner on a master computer at the command centre. The cryptographic algorithms used for question delivery are also updated regularly.
The NTA informed the court that the re-examination scheduled for June 21 would be conducted under a strengthened standard operating procedure (SOP) framework incorporating multi-layer authentication, enhanced surveillance and inter-agency coordination.
Meanwhile, sources said the government was considering involving the defence forces to manage logistics and transportation for the NEET-UG retest on June 21. Top sources in the Ministry of Defence confirmed that a high-level meeting was held at the residence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and attended by Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia. Officers from the Indian Air Force (IAF) were also present during the discussions.
According to officials, a proposal has been prepared to deploy the IAF to provide transportation and logistics support to securely move question papers from printing presses to examination centres across the country. The final decision is expected after consultations with the Prime Minister’s Office. Question papers are currently dispatched via the postal network, which involves multiple handling points and officials.
Sources said the proposed IAF-backed mechanism aims to minimise the risk of leaks and strengthen security protocols. “IAF will discuss the practical details with officials concerned with the examination to execute the plan if it gets approval from the Ministry,” an official said.
