New Delhi, June 1: The Supreme Court on Monday refused to accept a plea seeking the conduct of the 2026 re-test on June 21 in computer-based test mode, saying the National Testing Agency is already faced with too many problems.
A bench of Justices P S Narasimha and Aravind Kumar, which posted the plea by RJD MP Sudhakar Singh and others for hearing on July 27, refused to order the conduct of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (Undergraduate), or NEET-UG, in computer-based test (CBT) mode instead of the existing pen-and-paper method.
On May 12, the National Testing Agency (NTA) cancelled the NEET-UG held on May 3 for medical admissions amid allegations of paper leak.
The CBI is currently investigating the matter, and a retest is scheduled for June 21.
“There is no question of conducting the re-examination in CBT mode. They (the NTA) are already having too many problems. The examination was cancelled, and now it is being re-conducted. Either we dismiss this petition now or after the vacation,” the bench told advocate Satyam Singh Rajput, appearing for the petitioners.
At the outset, Rajput said they are not pressing any other prayer but only one related to conducting the re-test in CBT mode.
The bench said that similar matters were earlier dismissed by the court.
Rajput then submitted that the re-examination is being conducted physically, insisting that it be held in the CBT mode.
Justice Narasimha told the counsel to understand the current pressure on the NTA.
On May 29, the top court had observed that it should not disappoint the youngsters while stressing that the real problem relating to the medical entrance examination would not stop till “actual accountability arises”.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta had told the apex court that the government was seriously concerned about the concerns of the youths and Prime Minister Narendra Modi was personally supervising the situation so that “there is no lacunae”.
Mehta also said that some new mechanisms have been put in place for the NEET-UG retest on June 21.
The top court was hearing a batch of pleas, including one seeking a direction to replace or restructure the NTA with a robust and autonomous body to conduct the medical entrance examination.
An affidavit filed by the NTA in the matter said that it is all set to conduct the NEET-UG in CBT mode from next year instead of the pen and paper method after consulting the Centre.
After NEET-UG questions were allegedly leaked in 2024, the top court had refused to cancel the test but passed various directions aimed at tackling paper leaks and also a criterion for cancelling public exams.
While hearing the pleas on May 25, the top court had termed it sad that the NTA did not learn lessons from the earlier NEET paper leak.
It had sought responses from the Centre, NTA and the CBI on pleas seeking replacement of the testing agency with a robust and autonomous body. (PTI)
