SC shuts plea on NTA functioning as Centre agrees to enforce NEET-UG exam reforms

New Delhi:The Supreme Court on Monday closed proceedings related to the functioning of the National Testing Agency (NTA) in the conduct of last year's NEET-UG, after the Centre assured it would implement recommendations made by an expert panel.

A bench comprising Justices P.S. Narasimha and Joymalya Bagchi took note of the Centre's compliance report and submissions made by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, and formally disposed of the plea.

Mehta informed the court that the Centre had accepted all but one of the suggestions made by the seven-member expert panel, headed by former ISRO chief K. Radhakrishnan. The only recommendation not implemented for now is conducting NEET in an online format.

“Over 26 lakh students appear for NEET across the country. The government needs to assess the availability of internet and digital infrastructure before moving to an online format,” Mehta explained, adding that the report had otherwise been fully accepted.

Stating that nothing remained to be adjudicated, Mehta requested the court to close the matter. The bench agreed, noting that no further directions were required.

Last year, on August 2, the Supreme Court had declined to annul NEET-UG 2024, finding no substantial evidence of systemic malpractice or paper leaks that would have compromised the integrity of the exam. Instead, it expanded the scope of the expert panel's review to examine the NTA’s processes and suggest reforms to ensure transparency and prevent future irregularities.

The Centre had submitted the panel’s final report on January 2 and committed to implementing its recommendations in full, barring the online exam format, which remains under review.