SC cautions against 'committee-hopping' in NTA reforms, stresses institutional memory

The Supreme Court on Wednesday (August 19, 2026) called for meaningful continuity in reforms within the National Testing Agency (NTA), cautioning the Union government against discarding previous committees' recommendations when constituting new panels. The court emphasised that institutional memory must be preserved to ensure lasting improvements in the examination process.

A Bench headed by Justice P.S. Narasimha was hearing petitions concerning the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak, which led to the cancellation of the exam and left over 23 lakh medical aspirants in limbo. The Union government had recently set up a task force chaired by Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani to introduce technological reforms aimed at making public examinations leak-proof.

However, the court questioned what the government had done to implement the recommendations of an earlier committee headed by former ISRO chairman K. Radhakrishnan, which had also focused on improving the NTA's exam processes. "It should not be that a Committee gives recommendations, then a new Committee is formed which removes the old one, lock, stock and barrel," Justice Narasimha observed.

The court underlined the need for reforms to be vibrant, institutionalised, and carried forward by successive officers within the NTA. "There ought to be meaningful continuity in resolving systemic problems," the Bench said, adding that reforms should not be a knee-jerk reaction after a catastrophe.

Justice Narasimha pointed to how the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has conducted public exams without major disruptions, contrasting it with the NTA's recurring issues. He posed several pointed questions to Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who appeared for the Union government and the NTA: "Life changes with every exam. The system changes with every exam. There are new technological challenges. How are you facing them? Have you developed the necessary infrastructure? Have you the software systems required in place? What about cyber security and storage?"

Mr. Mehta agreed on the need for a "permanent mechanism" to introduce reforms and maintain continuity, suggesting that Mr. Radhakrishnan could be made a member of the Nilekani task force. The court, however, asked the government to first file an affidavit detailing what it had done to implement the nuanced guidelines recommended by the Radhakrishnan Committee, including steps to build institutional memory.

"We want a vibrant institution for the country to be proud of, and we are capable of doing it... Continuity in reforms is necessary. It must flow down from one generation to the next generation of officers," Justice Narasimha said.

The Bench was hearing petitions filed by the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) and United Doctors Front, which described the 2026 paper leak as part of a "recurring, systemic, and catastrophic failure" of the NTA. The government, in an affidavit, had hailed the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act of 2026 and the formation of the Nilekani task force as "landmark measures" to prevent future leaks.

The NEET-UG 2026 leaks triggered nationwide protests and a police crackdown on students, eventually leading to the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. A CBI investigation was ordered and arrests were made. The court's intervention underscores the need for durable systemic reforms over ad-hoc measures.