New Delhi, May 29 (IANS). An important hearing was held in the Supreme Court on Friday on the controversy regarding NEET-UG 2026 examination. During this, the Central Government told the court that Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself is monitoring this entire matter.
At the same time, the Supreme Court raised serious questions on the functioning of the National Testing Agency (NTA) and said that until individual accountability is not fixed, such irregularities are not going to stop.
Justice P.S. The bench of Justice Narasimha and Justice Alok Aradhe was hearing several petitions related to reforms in the NEET-UG examination. In these petitions, there has been a demand to completely change the examination into Computer Based Test (CBT) and major reforms in the examination system.
On behalf of the central government, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the court that the government is taking this issue very seriously, because it directly impacts the youth of the country. He said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself is personally monitoring this entire matter.”
Expressing concern over the examination controversies that are continuously emerging, the Supreme Court said that merely fixing institutional responsibility will not suffice, rather it should be clear as to which officer or person has what responsibility.
The court said, “The real problem will not end until real accountability is fixed. It should be known who is handling which responsibility.”
The court also said that such incidents are extremely painful for the students and their families. Lakhs of students prepare for these exams with years of hard work, time and emotions.
The court commented, “We cannot let our students down. It is not just a question of the student but of the dreams and struggles of the entire family.”
Describing the working style of NTA as ‘ad-hoc’, the Supreme Court said that the country’s examination bodies should work with a strong and permanent structure. Citing the example of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), the court said that NTA needs to learn from institutions like UPSC, which have successfully conducted large-scale examinations without controversies.
The court also advised to continuously increase cooperation with expert institutions, including IITs, so that examination security and management can be further strengthened.
During the hearing, the Supreme Court directed the Human Resource Development Ministry to file a detailed affidavit on the steps to be taken to strengthen the organizational capacity and resources of the NTA. The court clearly said that the objective is to ensure that incidents like 2024 and 2026 do not happen again in future. The next hearing of the case will be in July.
–IANS
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