The Supreme Court on August 19, 2026, directed the Union government to clarify actions taken to put into effect the recommendations of two expert committees—one headed by former ISRO chairman K. Radhakrishnan and another by Nandan Nilekani—focused on enhancing the National Testing Agency’s (NTA’s) institutional competence following the NEET-UG 2026 leak.
Hearing petitions filed by the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) and United Doctors Front (UDF), a Bench led by Justices P. S. Narasimha and Alok Aradhe emphasized that reforms cannot remain exam-specific but must become embedded in the NTA’s structural framework.
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## What Did the Government Say About Exam Security?
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta outlined the current safeguards NTA employs to counter question-paper leaks and other malpractices. He described the process—from question preparation to paper delivery—as “foolproof,” while acknowledging that human error can never be entirely eliminated.
He detailed that:
– Multiple moderators propose questions.
– Another group selects from them four distinct papers.
– The NTA Director General picks two, which are then sent in sealed envelopes to two printing presses.
– Printing presses operate under CISF oversight and are monitored with CCTV.
– Question papers are moved in secure containers fitted with GPS.
– Strong rooms with video surveillance hold papers; multiple officials—including city coordinators, NTA representatives, and bank managers—sign off on storage records.
– On exam day, sealed boxes are opened on camera, witnessed by two students, and packets are distributed per classroom.
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## Are These Measures Enough? The Court’s View
Justice Narasimha challenged whether these procedures had merely been described or truly institutionalised. He pointed out that many of the safeguards Mehta described had already been proposed by the Radhakrishnan Committee. The Court wants clear evidence of structural reform—not isolated measures for individual exams.
The judge asked for precise information on:
– The nature of the institutional body proposed.
– Number of required officers and staff.
– Physical premises.
– Staffing and security arrangements.
He stressed that consistent, long-term enforcement is more crucial than sophisticated procedures deployed for a single occasion.
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## Rules for Staffing, Infrastructure, and Capacity
Justice Narasimha highlighted the need for the NTA to develop:
– A fully staffed and secure institution with clear, confidential operations.
– Specialized units, including ones dealing with cybersecurity, test infrastructure, research development, and candidate support experience.
The Radhakrishnan Committee had suggested 16 verticals within the testing body—areas such as testing centres, central network operations, information security, and others. The Court asked whether these verticals have been set up, staffed, and equipped.
When questioned, the government stated that job advertisements for key positions like Technology Officer, Chief Finance Officer, General Manager, and other senior roles have been published.
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## UPSC: The Blueprint for Institutional Memory
Drawing a comparison to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), Justice Narasimha noted that UPSC has built institutional expertise over repeated examination cycles. He explained that this pattern fosters institutional memory—transferrable skills, standards, and stability—that sanitizer reforms need to emulate.
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## Digital Infrastructure and Data Security: Key Focus
The court probed the status of the NTA’s sovereign database for storing examination data and whether any indigenous software has been developed to support this. Mehta stated that plans are in motion and that the database remains “in contemplation.”
Regarding translation services, the NTA maintains a question bank of roughly 500 items translated into 13 Indian languages. Currently, translations are done manually—but the involvement of humans leaves room for breaches. Notably, individuals responsible for one such breach were arrested.
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## The Court’s Orders and Directions
After hearing arguments, the Bench issued specific directions:
– The Secretary must file an affidavit within three weeks detailing steps already taken to implement Radhakrishnan and Nilekani committee recommendations, including timelines.
– The affidavit should cover infrastructure, manpower, technology, physical premises, and whether the staff have taken charge.
Justice Narasimha emphasized institutional memory as critical. He warned that without strong, stable structures, experienced officials could be moved elsewhere, erasing hard-won learning and leaving successors without guidance.
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## Legal Case at Hand
Petitions were lodged under W.P.(C) No. 651/2026 and related matters titled *Federation of All India Medical Association v. National Testing Agency and Others*. The claimants, represented by Advocate Tanvi Dubey, Advocate Charu Mathur, and Advocate Ritu Raniwal, are pressing for structural reforms following integrity failures in the NEET-UG 2026 examination.
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