Supreme Court Judges to Visit NTA Office Over Exam Leak Reforms

New Delhi, September 18, 2026: The Supreme Court has indicated that its judges will visit the National Testing Agency’s (NTA) upgraded facility in New Delhi as part of its continuing examination of reforms following the NEET-UG 2026 paper-leak controversy.

A bench comprising Justice P.S. Narasimha and Justice Alok Aradhe is hearing petitions seeking structural changes in the NTA, the organisation responsible for conducting NEET and several other major entrance examinations.

During Friday’s hearing, the court stressed that preventing examination leaks requires more than short-term security arrangements. The bench said the examination system needs a permanent institutional structure, including adequate permanent staff and specialised functional divisions.

The proposed visit is intended to allow the judges to examine whether the systems described by the government and the NTA are actually operational. The court indicated that it wants to assess the organisation’s infrastructure, manpower and other arrangements directly.

Court seeks implementation, not just reform reports

The hearing also focused on the progress of reforms recommended for the examination system. The Centre informed the court that a high-powered task force headed by Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani has conducted consultations and is expected to submit an interim report by the end of September.

The court directed the Joint Secretary assisting the task force to submit an affidavit detailing the progress made so far. It also asked the NTA to update its information on the reforms and make the relevant details available on its website.

The judges emphasised that recommendations should ultimately result in changes that work on the ground, rather than remaining limited to committee reports.

What reforms are being considered?

The NTA has been undergoing a broader restructuring following the NEET-UG 2026 crisis. Reported measures include moving towards specialised functional divisions, strengthening senior leadership, recruiting domain experts and improving security arrangements at its facilities. The NTA has also shifted confidential operations to a dedicated government facility at Minto Road in New Delhi, according to information placed before the court.

Earlier hearings have also examined proposals involving computer-based examinations, encryption and secure transmission of question papers, candidate verification and stronger safeguards before, during and after examinations.

Why the Supreme Court's intervention matters

The court's latest move comes after repeated concerns over examination security and the disruption caused by the NEET-UG 2026 paper-leak controversy. The Supreme Court has previously said that temporary or ad-hoc arrangements cannot substitute for a permanent examination-security framework.

The immediate focus now is on whether the reforms being promised by the Centre and the NTA are sufficiently institutionalised and capable of preventing future breaches.

The Supreme Court is expected to continue examining the government's reform roadmap, the NTA's restructuring and the recommendations emerging from the Nilekani-led task force.