Centre tells SC about 10-layer security, AI safeguards to stop future NEET paper leak

The Centre told the Supreme Court it has overhauled NEET after the 2026 paper leak. It said AI safeguards, tougher laws and a new task force will tighten future exams.

In Short

• Ministry filed a compliance affidavit before Justice P S Narasimha's Bench
• Question papers and OMR sheets will carry candidate-linked unique serial numbers
• Papers will move in six tamper-evident layers with cut-open locks

The Centre has told the Supreme Court that it has carried out a comprehensive overhaul of the NEET examination system, saying the changes are designed to eliminate paper leaks, strengthen security and prevent the kind of failures that disrupted the medical entrance exam earlier this year.

In a compliance affidavit filed before a Bench headed by Justice PS Narasimha, the Ministry of Education said the reforms are aimed at building a robust and institutionalised examination framework that can preserve institutional memory, improve oversight and reduce vulnerabilities in future examinations.

The affidavit was filed in response to the Supreme Court's direction asking the Centre to explain how future NEET examinations would be conducted and what steps would be taken to ensure similar lapses do not recur.

A 'FORTRESS' AROUND THE EXAM

One of the biggest changes highlighted by the Centre is the introduction of what it called a 10-stage security protocol, described as a "fortress" model for conducting NEET.

According to the affidavit, question papers will now pass through multiple layers of security before reaching candidates. To minimise the risk of leaks during translation, the government said it has introduced air-gapped (offline) AI systems for the initial drafting process, followed by limited human verification.

Every question paper and OMR sheet will also carry a unique serial number linked to an individual candidate, making tracking easier.

The physical movement of papers has also been strengthened. Question papers will be packed inside six layers of tamper-evident packaging, including steel trunks secured with one-time-use locks that can only be opened by cutting them.

TECHNOLOGY AND TOUGHER LAWS

The Centre also informed the court that it has constituted a High-Powered Task Force on Examination Reforms, headed by Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani, to recommend structural changes in public examinations.

The task force, set up on July 27, has been given three months to submit recommendations. Its mandate includes using Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain technology to secure examinations and modernise the country's assessment system.

Alongside technological changes, the government said Parliament has strengthened the legal framework through the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Act, 2026. The amended law builds upon the 2024 legislation and provides for up to 10 years' imprisonment and fines of up to Rs 1 crore for offences such as paper leaks, impersonation, computer tampering and other examination-related fraud.

BACKGROUND TO THE REFORMS

The Centre clarified that the affidavit does not comment on the ongoing CBI investigation into the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak.

The National Testing Agency (NTA) had cancelled the May 3 NEET-UG examination after allegations of a paper leak surfaced, following which a re-examination was conducted on June 21.

The Supreme Court had earlier observed that it was disappointing that the NTA had failed to learn lessons from previous paper leak controversies. It had also sought responses from the Centre, the NTA and the CBI on petitions seeking a stronger and more autonomous examination body.

With the latest affidavit, the Centre has assured the apex court that the examination system has now undergone a structural overhaul aimed at making future NEET examinations more secure, transparent and resistant to organised malpractice.

(With PTI inputs)

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