NEET PG 2026 transparency: Supreme Court questions NBEM on question paper disclosure

The Supreme Court of India today, 2 November 2026, questioned the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) on how the disclosure of NEET-PG question papers and answers would compromise the integrity of the examination. The court is hearing petitions filed by doctors and NEET-PG aspirants seeking greater transparency in the NEET-PG 2026 examination by demanding the release of question papers, answer keys, and candidates’ recorded responses.

The petitioners are challenging the NBEMS’s current disclosure system, which provides answer keys and candidate responses only through ‘Question ID numbers’ from a master question paper. They contend that this method prevents candidates from effectively verifying their attempted responses, arguing that it renders the disclosure illusory and non-verifiable, particularly as different candidates receive shuffled questions and options.

Arguments for and Against Disclosure

Advocate Neema, representing the NBEMS, defended the existing system, stating that full disclosure of question papers could adversely affect the future integrity of NEET-PG examinations. Neema argued that medical subjects, being science-based with fixed questions and answers, rely on a limited question bank. She expressed concern that consistent disclosure would lead to all questions becoming accessible to coaching institutes within five to six years, potentially resulting in doctors who have learned answers by rote rather than demonstrating genuine acumen, thereby compromising public health.

In contrast, the petitioners highlighted that other national examinations, such as JEE, CLAT, and AIIMS INI-CET, disclose candidate-wise response sheets in the order attempted. They sought directions for a candidate-wise display showing questions as attempted, responses marked, correct answers, and marks awarded. Justice P S Narasimha, while hearing the arguments, conveyed the Court’s dissatisfaction with NBEMS’s explanation, stating, ‘You need much more explanation of what you are doing. We are not fully satisfied. You will have to explain to us exactly why you stand on a different footing from any other examination.’

Previous Supreme Court Interventions in NEET Examinations

The Supreme Court’s current inquiry into NEET-PG transparency follows a series of interventions concerning the integrity of national medical entrance examinations. On 5 August 2026, the Court directed the manual checking of a NEET-UG 2025 aspirant’s answer sheet after allegations of wrongly stapled question paper pages. The result of this manual evaluation was to be submitted by 12 August 2026.

For NEET UG 2024, the Supreme Court had refused to order a re-examination, citing insufficient evidence of a widespread paper leak despite localized incidents in Hazaribagh and Patna. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed status reports on the NEET UG 2024 paper leak on 10 July, 17 July, and 21 July 2026, indicating that 155 students from centres in Hazaribagh and Patna appeared to be beneficiaries of fraud. The NEET UG 2024 exam was conducted at 4,750 centres in 571 cities across India and 14 cities overseas, with 24 lakh students competing for 1,08,000 seats.

NEET-PG 2024 and Ongoing Concerns

The Supreme Court had previously sought a response from the National Board of Education (NBE) on 13 September 2026, regarding a writ petition demanding the release of answer keys and question papers for the NEET-PG 2024 examination. The NEET-PG 2024 examination was conducted on 11 August 2026, at 416 centres across 170 cities, with results declared on 23 August 2026. The Information Bulletin for NEET-PG 2024, Clause 10.4, stated there would be no provision for re-evaluation, rechecking, or re-totaling of responses.

The Union government has also been addressing broader concerns about paper leaks in national examinations. A high-level committee headed by Nandan Nilekani was constituted to address repeated paper leaks, and the Radhakrishnan Committee was set up by the Ministry of Education in the wake of the NEET-UG paper leak to recommend reforms. The NTA had cancelled the NEET-UG held on 3 May 2026, amid paper leak allegations, with a retest conducted on 21 June 2026.

NEET-PG 2024 Cutoff Percentiles

Further reading

• NEET PG 2026: Register for Round 2 by November 11; fill choices by November 12
• NEET PG 2026: CEE Kerala begins phase 1 option registration, closes October 31
• NEET PG application form: eligibility, dates and how to apply Next step
• CENTAC NEET MDS 2026 Round 3 registration deadline extended; apply under revised cut-off
• NTA revised exam calendar 2026-27 out: check new JEE Main, UGC NET, CUET PG dates
• NEET UG 2026: Apply for private MBBS seats now; fees slashed up to 40% Applications open

Written by Nishit Kumar

Nishit Kumar is a senior EdTech industry leader with over a decade of experience in building and scaling education platforms, shaping their product, content, and growth strategy. At FindMyCollege, Nishit oversees content and editorial strategy, guiding topic selection and content frameworks to ensure accuracy, relevance, and student-first value across the website.

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