NEET security ‘foolproof’: Centre to SC; court seeks institutional reforms

The Supreme Court on Wednesday stressed the need to institutionalise reforms in the NEET examination system and directed the National Testing Agency (NTA) to inform it about the steps taken to implement the recommendations of the Radhakrishnan panel and the Nandan Nilekani committee.

A bench of Justices PS Narasimha and Alok Aradhe asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to file a fresh affidavit detailing the steps taken to implement the recommendations.

The bench observed that the Radhakrishnan Committee had correctly identified the issue as a systemic problem requiring institutionalisation.


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“The Radhakrishnan Committee has correctly said it is a systemic problem which needs institutionalisation, which is the most important part of it,” the bench said.

The court noted that while processes may appear robust on paper, the situation can change when another examination is conducted.

At the hearing, Mehta outlined the safeguards followed from the printing of NEET question papers until they are handed over to students. He asserted that the system in place for NEET examinations is “foolproof” and difficult to breach.

The Centre said several moderators are asked to prepare a question bank and are not aware which questions will ultimately form part of the examination paper.

Mehta also told the court that vehicles carrying NEET question papers are fitted with GPS systems and that even small movements are recorded, allowing authorities to track the transportation of the papers.

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The Supreme Court has also stressed the need for secure confidential infrastructure, cybersecurity, dedicated testing centres, a permanent committee for paper sealing, institutional expertise and a sovereign database. It also called for a director-rank officer to oversee examination security.

“A vibrant system and institutionalisation is what needs to be done,” the court said.

The court said its concern was the institutionalisation of the NTA, including its infrastructure, manpower and technological requirements.

The hearing was taking place on a batch of petitions, including one filed by advocate Tanvi Dubey on behalf of the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA).

The seven-member Radhakrishnan Committee was constituted by the Ministry of Education following the NEET-UG paper leak to recommend reforms in the examination process, improvement of data security protocols, and changes to the structure and functioning of the NTA.

The government had also constituted a high-powered task force led by Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani for structural reforms in the NEET examination system.

The reforms assume significance following the controversy surrounding the NEET-UG examination and allegations of question-paper leaks and malpractice.