A letter petition has been filed before the Supreme Court of India seeking suo motu intervention into the repeated NEET examination leaks, impersonation scams, and alleged systemic failures within the National Testing Agency (NTA), contending that the credibility and transparency of national-level entrance examinations have been "fundamentally compromised". The petition was submitted on 13 May 2025, days after the NTA cancelled the NEET-UG 2026 examination held on 3 May and announced a retest following inputs from central agencies about alleged irregularities.

What the Petition Demands

The plea, addressed to Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, seeks directions for a court-monitored probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or a Special Investigation Team (SIT) into the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak controversy. It also demands the replacement of the NTA with an "independent, transparent, and professionally regulated National Examination Authority" equipped with statutory accountability, judicial oversight, and advanced technological safeguards.

Filed by Dr Dhruv Chauhan, National Spokesperson of the Indian Medical Association Junior Doctors Network (IMA-JDN), and social activist Harisharan Devgan through advocate Satyam Singh, the petition argues that repeated paper leaks, solver gangs, impersonation rackets, cybersecurity failures, and administrative lapses have "destroyed public confidence" in the examination system.

Pattern of Failures Cited

The petition refers to a string of past controversies, including those linked to NEET-UG 2024 and JEE Main 2021, alleging a "continuing collapse of examination security mechanisms" despite judicial scrutiny, criminal investigations, and expert committee recommendations. It relied on parliamentary disclosures made by the Union Ministry of Education in the Rajya Sabha in March 2025, which stated that the CBI had filed five charge sheets against 45 accused persons in connection with the NEET-UG 2024 paper theft case, with beneficiaries, impersonators, and MBBS students allegedly involved identified for action.

The plea contends that the recurring nature of such incidents reflects "institutional incapacity and systemic breakdown within the National Testing Agency" and that lakhs of students from economically weaker and middle-class backgrounds, who dedicate years to NEET preparation, are being denied the constitutional guarantees of equality and fair opportunity under Articles 14 and 21.

"The recurring paper leaks have created an environment where deserving students increasingly believe that merit and hard work alone are insufficient to secure success in national examinations," the petition stated.

Structural Reforms Sought

Beyond investigation, the petition seeks the constitution of a high-level committee comprising retired judges, cybersecurity experts, educationists, and administrative experts to recommend structural reforms for secure conduct of national-level examinations. It also prays for implementation of encrypted digital paper transmission systems, biometric verification mechanisms, strict cybersecurity protocols, and fast-track prosecution against individuals, coaching centres, and officials allegedly involved in examination leaks and organised cheating rackets.

The NEET-UG 2026 Cancellation and Widening Probe

The petition comes in the wake of the NTA cancelling the NEET-UG 2026 examination on Tuesday, stating that "the present examination process could not be allowed to stand" after findings shared by investigative agencies established serious concerns about the integrity of the exam. The retest date is yet to be notified. The NTA has also referred the matter to the CBI for a comprehensive inquiry.

The investigation has since widened to Kerala, where the CBI is probing the possible involvement of students from two districts after details shared by the Rajasthan Police allegedly revealed links to nearly 200 students who may have accessed the leaked paper. According to the petition, a "model question paper" allegedly prepared using the leaked original was circulated across Kerala, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Bihar via Telegram and WhatsApp for amounts ranging from ₹25,000 to ₹2 lakh.

With the Supreme Court yet to formally respond to the letter petition, the outcome of the CBI's inquiry and the NTA's retest schedule will be closely watched by millions of medical aspirants across the country.