SC to closely monitor Centre's measures to prevent future NEET paper leaks

The Supreme Court on Friday (July 24) stated that it would closely monitor the steps taken by the Centre to curb future leakage of NEET examination question papers. The bench of Justices P S Narasimha and Alok Aradhe further stated that ad hocism resorted to in this regard has led to trouble for years.

The bench made the remarks during the hearing of a batch of petitions, including one by the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA). It also told Solicitor General Tushar Mehta that the government should indicate the steps taken towards transparency, implementation of recommendations of the Radhakrishnan Committee, and how the IIT model would be followed.

"We will monitor this. We will take that extra mile to ensure that things are put in place," stated the Bench as quoted by the Bar and Bench.

The court further stated that it was more concerned about ensuring systemic reforms, rather than stop-gap solutions.

Against ad hocism

"We are focusing on institutionalisation. Adhocism is what has troubled all these years... This year because of what happened you had deployed the airforce to transport. But that’s only an adhoc situation. There must be something permanent," it added.

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The Solicitor General informed the apex court that there are some developments and the government will file a detailed report, which may be beyond the recommendations of the Radhakrishnan Committee.

"Students' futures can't be jeopardised. We are going beyond the Radhakrishnan Committee. I assure you that the government is walking 10 extra miles. I can assure you everything is being supervised at the highest level," Mehta submitted.

Centre assures action

Elaborating further, Mehta said that the Centre had accepted the reforms suggested to it regarding the function National Testing Agency (NTA) by a high-level committee set up in 2024 following the alleged leak of question papers of the NEET-UG 2024 exam.

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"The Radhakrishnan committee has been fully accepted," SG Mehta told the Court.

At this point, the bench urged the Centre to file a comprehensive report elaborating steps it had taken to prevent paper leaks in future.

Focus on data security

"Give information regarding computer based testing. Can it be shifted; how the data is to be transferred; how the data is to be protected? Data safety is the most important aspect. You indicate to us. The cybersecurity, who is to undertake it, how it is to be conducted etc. We are institutionalising so we can get out of this cycle," stated the bench.

"After the affidavit comes we will see what the status is. We will very closely monitor this. We will follow it up throughout the year. We will see that complete and total institutionalisation takes place… Centre is expected to file its affidavit by then. The affidavit is to detail its proposals for preventing future paper leaks,” it added as quoted by the Bar and Bench. The matter has been posted on July 27 for the next hearing.

(With agency inputs)