The Centre has told the Supreme Court that the system used to conduct the NEET-UG examination is designed to prevent question paper leaks and other security breaches.
During the hearing on Wednesday, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta explained the question paper preparation and printing process before the court. He said the system has several layers of security, although some human involvement remains part of the process.
The government’s explanation comes amid the continuing controversy surrounding the NEET-UG 2026 examination and allegations concerning the security of examination papers.
How Are NEET Question Papers Prepared?
Explaining the process, Mehta used a hypothetical Physics paper containing 100 questions as an example.
According to the government’s submission, the process begins with multiple groups of moderators preparing a much larger pool of questions.
From a bank of around 500 questions, another group of moderators selects questions and prepares four different question papers.
The Director General of the National Testing Agency (NTA) then selects two of those four papers.
The selected papers are subsequently sent to two separate printing presses.
Printing Takes Place Under Tight Security
The government told the Supreme Court that the question papers are transported in sealed boxes and printed under CCTV surveillance and CISF security.
The boxes cannot simply be opened by anyone at the printing facility.
The official responsible for the box has a digital key, while the box can only be opened after the printing press owner contacts the NTA Director General and obtains the required code.
The printing process is also recorded on video.
Printing Press Staff Do Not Know Exam Centre Details
The Centre further told the court that even people working at the printing press are not informed about which examination centre will ultimately receive a particular question paper.
After printing, the question paper and OMR sheets are placed inside a sealed envelope.
The government’s explanation was aimed at showing the court that several security checks exist between the preparation of the questions and their delivery to examination centres.
NEET Paper Leak Controversy
The government’s submissions come against the backdrop of a major controversy over the NEET-UG examination.
The examination conducted on May 3 faced allegations of a question paper leak. The issue led to widespread concern among students and parents and resulted in the National Testing Agency cancelling the examination and announcing a re-examination.
The controversy also raised questions about how question papers are prepared, transported and distributed before candidates receive them.
The Centre’s latest submission before the Supreme Court seeks to explain the safeguards currently used in the examination system.
The court is examining the matter as concerns continue over the integrity and security of one of India’s largest entrance examinations.
