The Central government has informed the Supreme Court that it has introduced a series of comprehensive reforms to strengthen the security of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) and prevent future paper leak incidents.
In an affidavit submitted before a bench headed by Justice P.S. Narasimha, the Ministry of Education said the new measures are designed to improve examination integrity, enhance institutional oversight, and eliminate systemic weaknesses in the conduct of public examinations.
Centre Details Examination Overhaul
The affidavit was filed following the Supreme Court's direction asking the Union government to explain how future NEET examinations would be safeguarded against malpractice and how authorities would retain institutional knowledge to improve examination management.
The government clarified that while the National Testing Agency (NTA) conducts NEET, it does so on behalf of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare under the supervision of the Ministry of Education. It also stated that the affidavit does not comment on the ongoing CBI investigation into the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak.
Stronger Legal Framework
The Centre informed the court that Parliament has strengthened laws against examination fraud through the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Act, 2026.
Under the amended law, offences such as question paper leaks, impersonation, tampering with computer systems, and other examination-related crimes now attract stricter penalties, including imprisonment of up to 10 years and fines of up to ₹1 crore.
High-Powered Task Force Formed
To improve the examination system, the government has constituted a High-Powered Task Force (HPTF) on examination reforms.
The committee, headed by Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani, has been tasked with recommending comprehensive reforms within three months. The focus will include the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and blockchain technology to strengthen the security and transparency of public examinations.
New Security Measures Introduced
The government told the Supreme Court that the NTA has introduced a 10-stage security protocol aimed at protecting every stage of the examination process.
Among the key measures:
- AI systems operating in air-gapped (offline) environments are being used to prepare question papers before limited human verification.
- Every question paper and OMR sheet now carries a unique serial number linked to an individual candidate.
- Examination papers are secured using six layers of tamper-evident packaging, including steel trunks fitted with one-time-use locks.
According to the Centre, these safeguards are intended to significantly reduce the possibility of paper leaks and unauthorized access.
Background of the Case
The latest reforms follow the controversy surrounding the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak, after which the NTA cancelled the examination conducted on May 3 and held a fresh test on June 21.
The Supreme Court had earlier observed that authorities should have learned lessons from previous examination controversies and sought responses from the Centre, the NTA, and the CBI on petitions seeking structural reforms, including the possibility of establishing an independent body to conduct the examination.
The Centre has maintained that the newly introduced legal, technological, and administrative reforms are intended to ensure greater transparency, accountability, and security in future NEET examinations.