SC refuses urgent listing of PIL challenging NEET-UG re-examination

The Supreme Court on Wednesday declined to grant an urgent hearing on a public interest litigation challenging the National Testing Agency's (NTA) decision to cancel NEET-UG 2026 and conduct a nationwide re-examination for nearly 22 lakh candidates, directing that the matter be heard alongside other pending NEET-related cases next month.

The plea was mentioned before Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, with the petitioner's counsel seeking immediate intervention against the blanket cancellation of the 3 May examination. It was argued that lakhs of students unconnected to the alleged paper leak were being forced to undergo the examination process again despite no wrongdoing on their part.

However, the CJI declined the request for urgent listing, observing that all matters concerning NEET-UG 2026 were already being heard by a Bench headed by justice P.S. Narasimha.

"NEET matters are already before another Bench," the CJI noted, indicating that the present petition would also be listed before the same Bench in July.

The PIL has been filed by Dr Mangala Kohli, former assistant director General of Health Services, through advocate-on-record Abhishek Chandra Mishra. It challenges the NTA's decision to scrap the original examination and order a fresh nationwide test following allegations of question paper leaks and examination malpractice.

While acknowledging the need for a thorough investigation into any wrongdoing, the petition argues that punitive action against offenders should not come at the cost of innocent students.

"The constitutional rights and legitimate interests of lakhs of bona fide candidates cannot be sacrificed owing to institutional and administrative failures attributable to the examination-conducting authority itself," the plea states.

The petition further contends that findings emerging from the Central Bureau of Investigation's probe point towards a "localised operational compromise through specific organised networks" rather than evidence suggesting contamination of the entire examination process across the country.

Questioning the rationale behind a nationwide cancellation, the plea argues that nearly 22 lakh aspirants — the overwhelming majority of whom had no connection to the alleged malpractice — have been compelled to once again endure the intense pressure of one of India's most competitive entrance examinations.

According to the petition, the decision has caused "severe academic, mental and financial hardship" to students and disrupted the broader medical admissions calendar.

Beyond challenging the re-test itself, the PIL also seeks far-reaching reforms in the conduct of national-level examinations. It calls for independent oversight mechanisms, stronger security protocols and a gradual shift towards technology-driven examination systems featuring encrypted digital question delivery, biometric authentication and AI-assisted monitoring.

The legal challenge comes against the backdrop of preparations for the 21 June re-examination, which will be conducted in the existing pen-and-paper format.

Earlier this month, the Supreme Court had declined to direct the NTA to switch to a computer-based test (CBT) mode for the re-test. A Bench of justices P.S. Narasimha and Aravind Kumar observed that such a direction could not be issued at a stage when authorities were already engaged in conducting the fresh examination and scheduled a detailed hearing on examination reforms for July.

Meanwhile, NTA director general Abhishek Singh has sought to reassure anxious students and parents, insisting that the re-examination will be conducted in a secure and error-free manner.

"There is no leaked paper for the re-exam," Singh said in a video message, warning aspirants against fraudsters operating through social media platforms and Telegram channels claiming to sell question papers for large sums of money.

He urged students not to fall prey to misinformation and said authorities were taking extraordinary measures to ensure the integrity of the examination process.

Singh also revealed that the Indian Air Force was assisting with logistics to facilitate the secure transportation of question papers and compress operational timelines, enabling the nationwide re-test to be conducted within 37 days of the cancellation of the original examination.

With admit cards already issued and the 21 June re-test just days away, the legal battle over the NTA's decision is now set to move to the Supreme Court in July, even as millions of aspiring medical students prepare once again for one of the country's most crucial examinations.

With IANS inputs