A writ petition has been filed before the Supreme Court by the United Doctors Front (UDF), seeking dissolution of the National Testing Agency (NTA) in the light of its “systemic failure” in the conduct of NEET-UG 2026.
The plea, filed through advocate Ritu Reniwal, seeks the creation of a statutory national testing body with defined powers, transparency norms and direct accountability to the legislature through a law enacted by Parliament. The petition states-
“The essence of the petition is that the current legal position of NTA autonomous society Under the Societies Registration Act, 1860, this creates an “accountability void”.
- Indirect Responsibility: Unlike the UPSC (constitutional) or the SSC (statutory), the NTA is not directly answerable to the Parliament.
- Limited Inquiry: It operates under the Ministry of Education, which protects it from direct CAG audit and mandatory parliamentary committee scrutiny.”
The petition states,An institution created by an Act of Parliament is necessary to ensure that there is direct accountability to parliamentary committees, mandatory CAG audits and statutory penalties (beyond administrative action) for paper leaks.“
The petitioner has also sought a court-monitored committee to monitor the transformation of the upcoming national examinations to ensure “zero-leak” integrity.
The petition has been filed after NTA canceled the NEET UG 2026 exam held on May 3, 2026 due to allegations of paper leak and handed over the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation. Another petition was filed earlier this week seeking directions to replace or fundamentally reorganize the NTA and conduct the NEET-UG 2026 exam afresh under judicial monitoring.
The UDF petition said that repeated compromise in NEET examinations violates Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution and affects the future of more than 22.7 lakh students.
“NEET-UG is the only gateway for undergraduate medical admission in India, which directly determines the academic and professional future of over 22.7 lakh students. The repeated compromise of this test is a direct attack on the fundamental guarantees of equality and right to life/livelihood under Articles 14 and 21.“
The plea highlights that despite assurances given by the NTA regarding security measures, the NEET UG 2026 exam was compromised.
“The petitioner highlighted the disastrous failure of the NEET-UG 2026 examination held on May 3, 2026. Despite claims of high-tech security measures (GPS tracking, AI-assisted CCTV and biometric verification), the exam was compromised by an organized “Guess Paper” racket. Investigation of the Rajasthan SOG and subsequent CBI FIR confirmed that the exam material was circulated through digital platforms much before the exam date. This systemic breach led to the unprecedented cancellation of the exam, putting the future of 22.7 lakh students at risk.“, the petition said.
The petition highlights that the NTA remains outside direct parliamentary scrutiny and mandatory Comptroller and Auditor General audits while continuing to discharge sovereign functions related to national examinations.
Supreme Court’s comments have also been cited in the petition Vanshika Yadav vs Union of India With regard to NEET-UG 2024, where the Court had cautioned the NTA against “flip-flops” and administrative lapses.
This is to reduce dependence on private vendors and shift towards a computer-based or hybrid examination model. It also depends on the recommendations of the Radhakrishnan Committee.
“The current model allows outsourcing of core examination functions to private vendors without stringent statutory safeguards, leading to “commercialization of failures” at the expense of students.“, the petition said.
The petition argues that despite the enactment of the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, the government has failed to stop organized cheating networks and paper leaks.
The petition said that repeated examination leaks have caused psychological distress, financial hardship and uncertainty to students and families. It also sheds light on student suicides allegedly linked to exam-related stress.
Among other reliefs, the plea has sought directions to dissolve the NTA in its present form, enact a law establishing a statutory National Testing Authority with defined transparency and accountability norms and appoint a court-monitored committee to oversee future national examinations.
Case no. – Diary no. 30471/2026
Case Title – United Doctors Front [UDF] Reg. Versus Union of India and Ors.