A writ petition has been filed by the United Doctors Front (UDF) before the Supreme Court seeking dissolution of the National Testing Agency (NTA) in light of its “systemic failure” in conducting NEET-UG 2026.
The petition, filed through Advocate Ritu Reniwal, seeks the creation of a statutory national testing body through legislation enacted by Parliament with defined legal powers, transparency norms, and direct accountability to the Legislature.
“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." 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 plea adds, “a body created by an Act of Parliament is necessary to ensure that the Direct accountability to Parliamentary Committees, Mandatory CAG audits and statutory penalties for paper leaks (beyond administrative action).” The petitioner has also sought a court-monitored committee to oversee the transition of upcoming national examinations to ensure “zero-leak” integrity. The petition has been filed after the NTA cancelled the NEET UG 2026 exam conducted on May 3, 2026 due to allegations of paper leak, and handed over the matter to the Central Bureau of Investigation.
Another petition was filed earlier this week seeking directions to replace or fundamentally restructure the NTA and to conduct a fresh NEET-UG 2026 examination under judicial supervision.The UDF petition states that the recurring compromise of NEET examinations violates Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution and affects the futures of more than 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 highlights that despite assurances given by NTA regarding safeguards, the NEET UG 2026 examination was compromised. “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 organized "Guess Paper" racket.
Investigations by the Rajasthan SOG and subsequent CBI FIRs confirmed that examination material was circulated via digital platforms well before the test date. This systemic breach led to the unprecedented total cancellation of the exam, jeopardizing the futures of 22.7 lakh students”, the petition states.The plea highlights that the NTA remains outside direct parliamentary scrutiny and mandatory Comptroller and Auditor General audits while continuing to discharge sovereign functions relating to national examinations .
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