THE JHARKHAND STORY DESK
New Delhi, May 16: A writ petition has been filed before the Supreme Court by the United Doctors Front (UDF) seeking the dissolution of the National Testing Agency (NTA) following the cancellation of NEET-UG 2026 over alleged paper leaks.
The petition, filed through Advocate Ritu Reniwal, calls for the establishment of a statutory national testing body through a law enacted by Parliament, with clearly defined legal powers, transparency mechanisms, and direct accountability to the Legislature.
Petition Alleges ‘Accountability Vacuum’ in NTA Structure
According to the plea, the NTA’s current status as an autonomous society registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 has created an “accountability vacuum.”
“The crux of the petition is that the NTA’s current legal status as an autonomous society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860, creates an ‘accountability vacuum,’” the petition states.
The plea argues that unlike constitutional or statutory bodies such as the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and Staff Selection Commission (SSC), the NTA is not directly accountable to Parliament.
The petition states:
- “Indirect Responsibility: Unlike the UPSC (Constitutional) or SSC (Statutory), the NTA is not directly answerable to Parliament.”
- “Limited Scrutiny: It operates under the Ministry of Education, shielding it from direct CAG audits and mandatory parliamentary committee probes.”
The UDF has sought the creation of a statutory examination authority to ensure:
- Direct accountability to Parliamentary Committees
- Mandatory Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) audits
- Statutory penalties for paper leaks beyond administrative action
Court-Monitored Committee Sought for Future Exams
The petition also seeks the constitution of a court-monitored committee to oversee the transition of future national-level examinations and ensure “zero-leak” integrity.
The plea comes after the NTA cancelled the NEET-UG 2026 examination held on May 3, 2026, following allegations of a paper leak. The matter was subsequently handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Another petition filed earlier this week had also sought directions for restructuring or replacing the NTA and conducting a fresh NEET-UG 2026 examination under judicial supervision.
‘Violation of Articles 14 and 21’: Petition
The UDF petition argues that repeated compromises in the NEET examination process violate Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution and adversely affect over 22.7 lakh students.
“NEET-UG constitutes the sole gateway for undergraduate medical admissions in India, directly dictating the academic and professional futures of over 22.7 lakh students. The recurring compromise of this examination is a direct assault on the fundamental guarantees of equality and right to life/livelihood under Articles 14 and 21,” the plea states.
NEET-UG 2026 Paper Leak Allegations
The petition alleges that despite the NTA’s claims of implementing advanced safeguards such as GPS tracking, AI-assisted CCTV monitoring, and biometric verification, the examination process was compromised through an organised “Guess Paper” racket.
“The Petitioner highlights the catastrophic failure of the NEET-UG 2026 examination, conducted on May 3, 2026. Despite claims of high-tech safeguards (GPS tracking, AI-assisted CCTV, and biometric verification), the examination was compromised by an organised ‘Guess Paper’ racket,” the petition states.
It further says investigations conducted by the Rajasthan Special Operations Group (SOG) and subsequent CBI FIRs confirmed that examination material had been circulated digitally before the exam date.
“This systemic breach led to the unprecedented total cancellation of the exam, jeopardising the futures of 22.7 lakh students,” the plea adds.
Supreme Court’s Earlier Observations Cited
The petition also refers to the Supreme Court’s observations in Vanshika Yadav v. Union of India concerning NEET-UG 2024, where the Court had reportedly cautioned the NTA against “flip-flops” and administrative lapses.
It additionally relies on recommendations made by the K. Radhakrishnan Committee, which suggested reducing dependence on private vendors and shifting toward computer-based or hybrid examination systems.
“The current model allows for the outsourcing of core examination functions to private vendors without stringent statutory safeguards, leading to the ‘commercialisation of failures’ at the expense of students,” the plea states.
Plea Highlights Student Distress
The petition contends that despite the enactment of the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, authorities failed to prevent organised cheating networks and paper leaks.
It further states that repeated examination leaks have caused psychological distress, financial hardship, and uncertainty among students and their families, while also referring to student suicides allegedly linked to examination stress.
Reliefs Sought Before Supreme Court
Among the key reliefs sought, the petition requests the Supreme Court to:
- Dissolve the NTA in its current form
- Direct Parliament to enact a law establishing a statutory national testing authority
- Introduce mandatory transparency and accountability mechanisms
- Set up a court-monitored committee to oversee future national examinations
