Top court says nation ‘cannot disappoint youngsters’ amid growing concerns over exam integrity
The Supreme Court on Friday delivered sharp observations over the NEET paper leak controversy, stressing that accountability must be fixed and warning that repeated failures in public examinations risk shattering the confidence of millions of students and families.
A bench comprising Justices P S Narasimha and Alok Aradhe said the country “should not disappoint its youngsters” while hearing petitions linked to alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG examination process.
The court was hearing multiple pleas, including demands for restructuring or replacing the National Testing Agency (NTA) with a more autonomous and robust institution capable of conducting high-stakes examinations transparently and securely.
During the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the bench that the Centre was treating the issue with utmost seriousness and that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was personally monitoring developments to ensure there were no further lapses.
He also informed the court that fresh mechanisms and safeguards had been introduced for the NEET-UG re-examination scheduled for June 21.
However, the Supreme Court made it clear that procedural assurances alone would not restore public confidence unless accountability was established.
“The real problem won’t stop till actual accountability arises,” the bench observed, underlining the enormous emotional and psychological burden borne by students and their families during competitive examinations.
The court directed the Centre to file an affidavit detailing the steps taken and posted the matter for further hearing in the second week of July.
The controversy erupted after the National Testing Agency cancelled the NEET-UG examination conducted on May 3 following allegations of a large-scale paper leak.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is currently probing the matter, while lakhs of aspirants now face uncertainty ahead of the scheduled re-test.
The issue has reignited national debate over the credibility of India’s examination system, particularly after the 2024 NEET-UG controversy, where allegations of paper leaks and irregularities had triggered widespread outrage among students and parents.
Although the Supreme Court had declined to cancel the entire examination in 2024, it had then directed authorities to implement stricter safeguards to prevent future leaks.
The latest observations from the apex court signal growing judicial concern over recurring failures in competitive examination management and mounting pressure on authorities to restore trust in the system.
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