SC assures NEET will be made foolproof, seeks Centre's plan by Aug 3
UPSC / SSC current affairs note · Polity
Why in news
The Supreme Court, hearing petitions on NEET paper leaks, expressed concern over ad-hocism and assured it will go the extra mile to fix issues. The government said it is ready to go '10 extra miles' and will submit a plan by August 3.
Background
NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test) has faced allegations of paper leaks and irregularities, leading to protests. In 2024, the SC constituted a high-level committee under former ISRO chairman K Radhakrishnan to recommend reforms. The committee submitted 35 long-term and 60 short-term recommendations, most of which have been implemented.
Key facts
Supreme Court bench of Justices P S Narasimha and Alok Aradhe heard petitions seeking tamper-free NEET.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said the government is ready to go '10 extra miles' to protect student interests.
Court granted time till August 3 for the Centre to brief on the contours of the new system.
Court sought response on implementing computer-based testing for NEET, similar to IIT-JEE.
Court highlighted need to address Radhakrishnan committee recommendations, especially regarding a governing board.
Court stressed institutionalisation over ad-hocism, which it called 'troubling'.
Data safety and cybersecurity were flagged as key concerns for computer-based testing.
Radhakrishnan committee reported that NEET-PG 2025 was conducted 'mostly satisfactorily' with some issues.
Petitions were filed by Federation of All India Medical Association and United Doctors Front.
The court will keep monitoring until the system is institutionalised.
Prelims pointers
- NEET: National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for medical admissions.
- Radhakrishnan Committee: High-level committee formed by SC in 2024 to suggest NEET reforms.
- K Radhakrishnan: Former ISRO chairman.
- Computer-based test: Proposed on lines of IIT-JEE.
- Solicitor General: Tushar Mehta.
- Justices P S Narasimha and Alok Aradhe: SC bench hearing the case.
Mains angles
- GS2: Role of judiciary in ensuring transparency in public examinations.
- GS2: Government accountability and reforms in examination systems.
- GS3: Cybersecurity and data protection in computer-based testing.
- GS2: Institutionalisation vs ad-hocism in governance.