The Supreme Court said on Friday (September 18) it may visit the National Testing Agency’s (NTA) permanent office to examine whether the systems put in place to conduct examinations are actually functioning effectively. The decision comes while hearing multiple petitions linked to the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak. Justice PS Narasimha said the court could visit the NTA office in New Delhi to examine its systems, manpower and other arrangements. “We'll come and see whether the system is actually in place, whether it is working or not working, manpower, all these things,” he said, as reported by Bar and Bench. On NTA reforms, the court stressed that the committees' recommendations should not remain confined to reports and must be translated into the actual on-ground implementation. The Supreme Court instructed the Joint Secretary coordinating with the high-powered committee to submit an affidavit outlining the committee’s progress so far.<h3>NTA directs to file updated affidavit</h3>The NTA was also directed to file an updated affidavit outlining the reforms undertaken and progress achieved, and to publish this information on its website. The court further allowed lawyers and state governments to send in their suggestions via a designated email address, and said it would take up the matter once the updated affidavit is submitted. The bench also deliberated on the need to strengthen the NTA's institutional framework, including expanding its permanent staff strength. It observed that the agency must have sufficient manpower and effective coordination with other institutions, while also examining whether it needs statutory backing. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the court that the high-powered committee, led by Nandan Nilekani, had held extensive consultations and was expected to submit its report by the end of September. The court reiterated that progress must go beyond recommendations and reports, insisting that expert suggestions ultimately translate into institutionalised reforms within the examination system.&nbsp;

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the court that the high-powered committee, led by Nandan Nilekani, had held extensive consultations and was expected to submit its report by the end of September. 

The Supreme Court said on Friday (September 18) it may visit the National Testing Agency’s (NTA) permanent office to examine whether the systems put in place to conduct examinations are actually functioning effectively. The decision comes while hearing multiple petitions linked to the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak. Justice PS Narasimha said the court could visit the NTA office in New Delhi to examine its systems, manpower and other arrangements. “We'll come and see whether the system is actually in place, whether it is working or not working, manpower, all these things,” he said, as reported by Bar and Bench. On NTA reforms, the court stressed that the committees' recommendations should not remain confined to reports and must be translated into the actual on-ground implementation. The Supreme Court instructed the Joint Secretary coordinating with the high-powered committee to submit an affidavit outlining the committee’s progress so far. NTA directs to file updated affidavit The NTA was also directed to file an updated affidavit outlining the reforms undertaken and progress achieved, and to publish this information on its website. The court further allowed lawyers and state governments to send in their suggestions via a designated email address, and said it would take up the matter once the updated affidavit is submitted. The bench also deliberated on the need to strengthen the NTA's institutional framework, including expanding its permanent staff strength. It observed that the agency must have sufficient manpower and effective coordination with other institutions, while also examining whether it needs statutory backing. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the court that the high-powered committee, led by Nandan Nilekani, had held extensive consultations and was expected to submit its report by the end of September. The court reiterated that progress must go beyond recommendations and reports, insisting that expert suggestions ultimately translate into institutionalised reforms within the examination system.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the court that the high-powered committee, led by Nandan Nilekani, had held extensive consultations and was expected to submit its report by the end of September.&nbsp;

NEET-UG paper leak case: Supreme Court may visit NTA office, seeks report on Nandan Nilekani panel's progress

Days before the NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination on June 21, India has temporarily banned the Telegram messenger app. Welcoming the government's decision, the National Testing Agency (NTA) accused the messaging platform of being used by cheating networks to spread misinformation and fabricate claims of paper leaks.<h2>Telegram to be permanently banned in India?</h2>No, Telegram Messenger won't be permanently banned in India. In a statement issued on Tuesday (Jun 16), the NTA said authorities had imposed two temporary restrictions on Telegram in India following recommendations made by the agency.Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/from-compensation-to-age-relaxation-cockroach-janata-party-reveals-5-new-demands-at-pune-protest-details-1781230600749">From compensation to age relaxation: Cockroach Janata Party reveals 5 new demands at Pune protest | Details</a>The first measure restricts access to Telegram in India until June 22, covering the day of the NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination and its immediate aftermath. The second requires the platform to disable its message-editing feature for already posted messages in India until June 30.<h2>Why has GOI blocked Telegram?</h2>According to the NTA, the move is aimed at tackling a specific problem that has emerged in relation to national examinations. The agency alleged that some groups have exploited Telegram's editing feature to alter old messages after an exam has taken place, creating misleading "evidence" that question papers had been leaked in advance.The agency said the restrictions were introduced in the interest of public order and to counter organised efforts by cheating rackets targeting NEET candidates.&nbsp;Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/neet-ug-paper-leak-scandal-army-may-help-conduct-re-exam-for-first-time-suggest-reports-1780025143224">NEET-UG paper leak scandal: Army may help conduct re-exam for first time, suggest reports</a>"The measures have been taken in the interest of public order, in response to the organised use of the platform by cheating rackets to defraud candidates appearing for the NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination," the agency said.&nbsp;The NTA also thanked the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology for what it described as timely intervention ahead of the June 21 examination. "The directions are a measure of last resort, taken only after intermediate remedies, including the take-down action coordinated by I4C, had been pursued and had not produced, at the platform level, the response required to protect candidates in the run-up to the examination," the statement added. &nbsp;

Ahead of the NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination on June 21, India has imposed temporary restrictions on Telegram. The NTA says the platform was being used to spread misinformation and false paper leak claims. All you need to know.

Days before the NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination on June 21, India has temporarily banned the Telegram messenger app. Welcoming the government's decision, the National Testing Agency (NTA) accused the messaging platform of being used by cheating networks to spread misinformation and fabricate claims of paper leaks. Telegram to be permanently banned in India? No, Telegram Messenger won't be permanently banned in India. In a statement issued on Tuesday (Jun 16), the NTA said authorities had imposed two temporary restrictions on Telegram in India following recommendations made by the agency. Also read | From compensation to age relaxation: Cockroach Janata Party reveals 5 new demands at Pune protest | Details The first measure restricts access to Telegram in India until June 22, covering the day of the NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination and its immediate aftermath. The second requires the platform to disable its message-editing feature for already posted messages in India until June 30. Why has GOI blocked Telegram? According to the NTA, the move is aimed at tackling a specific problem that has emerged in relation to national examinations. The agency alleged that some groups have exploited Telegram's editing feature to alter old messages after an exam has taken place, creating misleading "evidence" that question papers had been leaked in advance. The agency said the restrictions were introduced in the interest of public order and to counter organised efforts by cheating rackets targeting NEET candidates. Also read | NEET-UG paper leak scandal: Army may help conduct re-exam for first time, suggest reports "The measures have been taken in the interest of public order, in response to the organised use of the platform by cheating rackets to defraud candidates appearing for the NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination," the agency said. The NTA also thanked the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology for what it described as timely intervention ahead of the June 21 examination. "The directions are a measure of last resort, taken only after intermediate remedies, including the take-down action coordinated by I4C, had been pursued and had not produced, at the platform level, the response required to protect candidates in the run-up to the examination," the statement added.

Ahead of the NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination on June 21, India has imposed temporary restrictions on Telegram. The NTA says the platform was being used to spread misinformation and false claims about paper leaks. All you need to know.

Telegram banned in India? NTA clarifies restrictions on messenger app ahead of NEET 2026 re-exam

Days after the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak exposed the fragility of the examination process, the National Testing Agency (NTA) is working to redesign the fundamental process of creating the question papers. Under the new proposal, the NTA has decided to ensure that subject experts remain unaware of the question papers they will set for the next year's exam, whether NEET, JEE or any other examination conducted by this body. A central part of the reform is separating question paper preparation from specific examinations altogether and adopting what officials call a “zero-trust architecture,” where reliance is placed on secure processes rather than individuals. The proposal comes in the wake of the CBI’s investigation into the NEET-UG 2026 leak, which has led to the arrest of 13 people so far, including translators and subject experts accused of leaking portions of the question paper. According to a report by The Indian Express last week, the arrests suggest that the breach may have occurred during the initial phase of the Confidential Operations (CONOPs), the tightly controlled paper-setting and translation mechanism introduced after the 2024 NEET controversy. The involvement of translators allegedly connected to the Physics, Chemistry and Biology sections has prompted authorities to reassess the long-held belief that trusted experts can be granted access to entire sections of an examination paper without compromising security. “If the paper is compromised, then it is not a pen-and-paper problem. It is a problem of system design and structure,” a senior government official said. “We are trying to reduce the human interface. There has to be a zero-trust architecture.”&nbsp;Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/prakash-raj-extends-support-to-cockroach-janta-party-as-they-protest-in-delhi-cockroaches-rocked-1780810156832">Prakash Raj extends support to Cockroach Janta Party as they protest in Delhi: ‘Cockroaches rocked’</a><h3>Alteration of subject specialists</h3>Officials indicated that the proposed system would fundamentally alter the role of subject specialists. Rather than being asked to prepare questions for a specific examination, experts would submit questions to a centralised question bank without knowing which of those questions would ultimately be used. “The domain expert should be examination-agnostic. He should not know whether the question is being set for NEET, JEE or any other examination. The objective is to ensure that no single individual has visibility of the final paper,” the official said. The agency is considering the development of a large repository containing thousands of subject-wise questions, officials said. Examination papers would then be generated from this pool through technology-driven mechanisms aimed at ensuring an appropriate balance of topics and maintaining consistent difficulty levels. “We can have a bank of 10,000 questions. The final paper can be built on that bank. Technology can help determine difficulty levels and question distribution. The idea is to minimise the number of eyes through which the paper passes,” the official said. Translation procedures, which came under the spotlight after arrests linked to the 2026 paper leak case, are also expected to see major reforms. The proposed changes build on assurances previously given by the National Testing Agency (NTA) to the Supreme Court. In an earlier affidavit, the agency stated that it intended to deploy artificial intelligence for nearly 85 per cent of the translation work, while human experts would be responsible for reviewing and validating the remaining portion.

A central part of the reform is separating question paper preparation from specific examinations altogether and adopting what officials call a “zero-trust architecture,” where reliance is placed on secure processes rather than individuals.

Days after the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak exposed the fragility of the examination process, the National Testing Agency (NTA) is working to redesign the fundamental process of creating the question papers. Under the new proposal, the NTA has decided to ensure that subject experts remain unaware of the question papers they will set for the next year's exam, whether NEET, JEE or any other examination conducted by this body. A central part of the reform is separating question paper preparation from specific examinations altogether and adopting what officials call a “zero-trust architecture,” where reliance is placed on secure processes rather than individuals. The proposal comes in the wake of the CBI’s investigation into the NEET-UG 2026 leak, which has led to the arrest of 13 people so far, including translators and subject experts accused of leaking portions of the question paper. According to a report by The Indian Express last week, the arrests suggest that the breach may have occurred during the initial phase of the Confidential Operations (CONOPs), the tightly controlled paper-setting and translation mechanism introduced after the 2024 NEET controversy. The involvement of translators allegedly connected to the Physics, Chemistry and Biology sections has prompted authorities to reassess the long-held belief that trusted experts can be granted access to entire sections of an examination paper without compromising security. “If the paper is compromised, then it is not a pen-and-paper problem. It is a problem of system design and structure,” a senior government official said. “We are trying to reduce the human interface. There has to be a zero-trust architecture.” Also read: Prakash Raj extends support to Cockroach Janta Party as they protest in Delhi: ‘Cockroaches rocked’ Alteration of subject specialists Officials indicated that the proposed system would fundamentally alter the role of subject specialists. Rather than being asked to prepare questions for a specific examination, experts would submit questions to a centralised question bank without knowing which of those questions would ultimately be used. “The domain expert should be examination-agnostic. He should not know whether the question is being set for NEET, JEE or any other examination. The objective is to ensure that no single individual has visibility of the final paper,” the official said. The agency is considering the development of a large repository containing thousands of subject-wise questions, officials said. Examination papers would then be generated from this pool through technology-driven mechanisms aimed at ensuring an appropriate balance of topics and maintaining consistent difficulty levels. “We can have a bank of 10,000 questions. The final paper can be built on that bank. Technology can help determine difficulty levels and question distribution. The idea is to minimise the number of eyes through which the paper passes,” the official said. Translation procedures, which came under the spotlight after arrests linked to the 2026 paper leak case, are also expected to see major reforms. The proposed changes build on assurances previously given by the National Testing Agency (NTA) to the Supreme Court. In an earlier affidavit, the agency stated that it intended to deploy artificial intelligence for nearly 85 per cent of the translation work, while human experts would be responsible for reviewing and validating the remaining portion.

A central part of the reform is separating question paper preparation from specific examinations altogether and adopting what officials call a “zero-trust architecture,” where reliance is placed on secure processes rather than individuals.

After NEET-UG 2026 leak, NTA plans ‘zero-trust’ system to overhaul question paper setting: What does it mean?

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NEET-UG paper leak case: Supreme Court may visit NTA office, seeks report on Nandan Nilekani panel's progress

Telegram banned in India? NTA clarifies restrictions ahead of NEET 2026 re-exam

After NEET-UG leak, NTA plans ‘zero-trust’ system for question paper setting