Friday, the bench of Justices PS Narasimha and Alok Aradhye slammed the Union government for relying on "quick temporary fixes" to stem NEET paper leaks, demanding a permanent institutional overhaul.
The National Testing Agency, created in 2017 to run NEET, has already overhauled its process—adding a four‑tier paper‑checking system, removing 600 experts and bringing in domain specialists—yet the 2026 leak prompted the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
A Nandan Nilekani‑led task force, backed by the Ministry of Education, is slated to submit a comprehensive interim report by the end of this month; the panel has already canvassed experts from the former K Radhakrishnan ISRO committee.
Justice Narasimha said the court will personally inspect NTA's newly upgraded facility, questioning whether a permanent staff structure exists and if verticals are fully operational, citing that "very little deputation should be there."
The court has also ordered the Joint Secretary to the Department of Personnel and Training to file an affidavit detailing progress to date, while the Supreme Court will decide on the panel’s recommendations after the inspection.