Supreme Court seeks Centre's reply on plea for time-bound probe into exam paper leaks
The Supreme Court on Tuesday (August 18, 2026) directed the Central government to respond to a petition seeking a standardised investigation procedure and time-bound trial in cases of examination paper leaks. A Bench headed by Justice P.S. Narasimha issued notices to the Union and state governments on the plea filed by advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, who has also requested the confiscation of assets belonging to the accused and their family members.
The petition, which comes amid growing concerns over recurring leaks in public examinations, proposes a “standard questionnaire and special investigation procedure” to ensure speedy justice. It further asks for the investigation to be conducted under laws including the Prevention of Corruption Act, the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, and benami and black money statutes. Mr. Upadhyay has also sought a direction for the assessment of the entire property of perpetrators and their family members.
In his plea, Mr. Upadhyay, who is associated with the Bharatiya Janata Party, said the petition was triggered by the NEET-UG paper leak on May 3, which affected lakhs of students. He argued that the continued failure of authorities to prevent, investigate, and effectively prosecute those responsible has resulted in an ongoing violation of fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution.
The petition notes that even though the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act has been in force since June 2024, leaks have continued to rise. It alleges that the actual masterminds behind the leaks have evaded scrutiny by investigating agencies. The petitioner also pointed out that the lack of Deception Detection Tests (DDT) to locate the real culprits has been one of the reasons for the non-enforcement of the 2024 Act.
The Supreme Court's decision to seek a response from the government marks the latest legal development in a series of paper leak cases that have sparked public outrage and protests. Students and parents have repeatedly demanded stricter action against those responsible for compromising the integrity of competitive examinations.
The bench has scheduled the matter for further hearing after receiving the government's reply.
