The Union Government has told the Supreme Court that shifting NEET-UG from pen-and-paper mode to computer-based testing is under active consideration, and that stakeholders are examining a phased transition beginning with a two-stage model similar to JEE.
The submission came in an affidavit filed on August 4, 2026 before a bench of Justices P.S. Narasimha and Alok Aradhe, which is hearing a batch of petitions seeking structural reform of the National Testing Agency after the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak. No decision has been taken yet, and the Centre has said the final call will follow the report of the Nandan Nilekani-led task force.
Key Highlights
- The Centre has informed the Supreme Court that migration of NEET to computer-based testing (CBT) is under active consideration.
- A phased transition is being examined, starting with a two-stage model on the lines of JEE.
- The final decision will be taken after considering the recommendations of the High-Level Task Force, and only after consulting stakeholders and giving adequate notice to candidates.
- The affidavit was filed by Arvind Kumar Sinha, Under Secretary in the Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education.
- NEET remains the only major NTA examination still conducted in pen-and-paper mode, because of its scale and inclusivity.
- The Centre has cited two measures: the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Act, 2026 and the Nandan Nilekani-led task force.
- The bench has fixed August 6 for the next hearing.
- Nothing has changed for candidates yet. The mode of NEET-UG 2027 has not been notified by NTA or the Education Ministry.
What the Centre Told the Court
The affidavit was filed in response to the Court’s May 29, 2026 order, which had directed the Centre to explain how the conduct of NEET would be institutionalised so that lessons from earlier cycles are preserved and future lapses prevented. The Government said the NTA has already migrated several national examinations to computer-based testing, and that NEET is the lone major exception on account of its size and the profile of candidates it serves.
On the shift itself, the Centre has stopped short of committing to a timeline. It has told the Court that a phased move is being studied, with the first phase modelled on JEE’s two-stage structure, and that any change will come only after the task force reports and candidates are given notice.
What a “Two-Stage JEE Model” Would Mean
JEE is currently held in two stages: JEE Main, a computer-based test conducted in multiple sessions, followed by JEE Advanced for shortlisted candidates. Applying that template to NEET would mean a screening stage followed by a second qualifying stage, instead of the single nationwide test held on one day.
The Centre’s affidavit does not specify the design for NEET, the number of stages, the weightage of each, the number of sessions, or the year of rollout. Readers should treat the reported details as a proposal under examination, not as an announced exam pattern.
This is not a new idea. The K. Radhakrishnan-led reform panel, set up after the 2024 NEET-UG paper leak, had suggested that NEET could be held in more than one stage like JEE, along with a hybrid model and a cap on the number of attempts. In April 2025, the Centre told the Supreme Court that it had accepted all the panel’s recommendations except the conduct of NEET in online mode.
Timeline of the Case
| Date | Development |
| May 3, 2026 | NEET-UG 2026 held; paper leak allegations surface |
| May 12, 2026 | NTA cancels the examination and announces a re-test |
| May 29, 2026 | Supreme Court directs Centre to explain institutionalisation of NEET conduct |
| June 21, 2026 | NEET-UG 2026 re-examination conducted |
| July 25, 2026 | Dharmendra Pradhan resigns as Union Education Minister |
| July 26, 2026 | PM announces Nandan Nilekani-led High-Powered Task Force |
| July 31, 2026 | President assents to the Prevention of Unfair Means Amendment Act, 2026 |
| August 3, 2026 | Centre tells Court it will place paper-security methodology on record |
| August 4, 2026 | Affidavit filed; CBT and two-stage JEE model disclosed |
| August 6, 2026 | Next hearing |
Who Are the Petitioners
The matter is titled Federation of All India Medical Association v. Union of India, WP(C) 651/2026. The petitioners were represented by Advocate Charu Mathur and AOR Ritu Raniwal, and by Advocate Tanvi Dubey for FAIMA, while the Union’s affidavit was filed through Advocate Madhulika Upadhyay.
A separate petition by RJD MP Sudhakar Singh seeking CBT mode for NEET is also before the same bench. On July 27, the Court had said it would first examine the task force’s recommendations, observing that the shift would need additional safeguards for cyber security and database protection, and “out-of-the-box suggestions”.
Official Websites and Links
- National Testing Agency: nta.ac.in
- NEET-UG official portal: neet.nta.nic.in
- Ministry of Education: education.gov.in
- Supreme Court of India: sci.gov.in
