The Supreme Court on Wednesday said that the petition challenging the nationwide re-conduct of NEET-UG 2026 will be heard by a Bench led by Justice P.S. Narasimha after the partial court working days, along with other pending NEET-related cases. The matter came up before a Bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice V. Mohana. The petition, filed by former Assistant Director General of Health Services Dr. Mangala Kohli, challenges the National Testing Agency's (NTA) decision to cancel the May 3 examination and conduct a nationwide re-test for nearly 22 lakh candidates. The plea argues that while allegations of paper leaks require strict investigation, forcing all candidates to reappear is unfair and disproportionate. It also seeks reforms in the conduct of national-level entrance examinations, including secure digital systems, biometric authentication, AI-based monitoring and computer-based testing.

The PIL contends that investigations by the CBI point to localised examination malpractice rather than nationwide contamination, making a blanket cancellation unjustified. It argues that the decision has caused severe academic, mental and financial hardship to lakhs of genuine aspirants and disrupted the medical admissions process, according to Law Beat report.

The petition also seeks an interim stay on the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination. Earlier, the Supreme Court had declined to shift the June 21 re-test to a computer-based format but observed that recurring NEET controversies highlight the need for structural reforms and fixed accountability within the NTA to prevent similar crises in future.