The Supreme Court on Wednesday deferred an urgent hearing on petitions challenging the National Testing Agency’s (NTA) decision to cancel NEET-UG 2026’s original exam and conduct a nationwide re-test. The re-examination is scheduled for June 21. Multiple petitions are filed by candidates who question the cancellation and seek relief, including a stay on the June 21 retest and reforms to improve examination security.
According to reports, the court was asked to intervene urgently by a group of applicants who say they are not disputing the need for a retest, but want more time due to the “severe stress and anxiety” caused by the cancellation, rumours of another leak, and other disruptions such as issues related to admit cards. The petition also raises concerns about the impact on students who are not alleged to be involved in wrongdoing.
The bench scheduled to hear the matter is led by Justice P. S. Narasimha, and the hearing is deferred to July as the bench is set to sit only after July 13, which affects the immediacy of interim relief. Meanwhile, the CBI is investigating the allegations of a paper leak, and the government has indicated it is implementing new mechanisms for the June 21 re-test.
