The Supreme Court on Monday (July 27, 2026) said it will see what the Nandan Nilekani-led high-powered task force formed by the government suggests on the online conduct of the NEET examination.

A Bench of Justices P.S. Narasimha and Alok Aradhe said some out-of-the-box suggestions are needed especially when transition is made from the physical mode to the online conduct of the NEET examination.

“We need some additional safeguards with respect to cyber security, database protection,” it said.

The Bench was hearing a plea filed by RJD MP Sudhakar Singh following the cancellation of the NEET-UG held on May 3 over alleged paper leak and the announcement of re-NEET

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, informed the Bench that the Union Government has taken a very serious view and a high-level committee has been constituted.

He said an announcement was made by the Prime Minister himself and the high-level committee is headed by Nandan Nilekani, who is an expert in the field of technology.

Mr. Mehta said besides Mr. Nilekani, other members of the task force are former Chairman of ISRO S. Somanath, former Director of the Intelligence Bureau, Tapan Deka, director of IIT Chennai, V. Kamakoti, former Education Secretary Anita Karwal, and logistics expert Amrit Lal Meena.

The Bench said it is listing the plea filed by RJD MP Sudhakar Singh on next Monday, August 3.

On June 1, the top court refused to accept for urgent hearing the plea filed by Mr. Singh for conduct of the NEET-UG 2026 re-test on June 21 in computer-based test mode.

On May 12, the National Testing Agency (NTA) cancelled the NEET-UG held on May 3 for medical admissions amid allegations of paper leak.

The CBI is currently investigating the matter and the retest was held on June 21.

As the Union Budget 2026 approaches, education experts have urged the government to shift focus from expanding enrolment to improving quality, infrastructure and future-ready skills, citing India’s young population and growing higher education system.

India has the world’s second-largest education system, with nearly 40% of its population below 25 years. In the last Budget, education received ₹1.28 lakh crore, up 6.22%, with ₹50,077.95 crore allocated to higher education.

The Economic Survey 2024-25 shows that the number of higher education institutions rose 13.8% over eight years, while the Gross Enrolment Ratio increased from 23.7% to 28.4%.

Dr. P.R. Sodani, president of the Indian Institute of Health Management Research (IIHMR) University, said higher public investment in education and healthcare was essential for human capital development.

“Spending should focus on building skilled talent, digital transformation and institutional capacity,” he said.

He said Budget 2026 could be a turning point if it strengthens infrastructure, digital and multilingual education, and prepares students for a knowledge-driven economy.

“Access has expanded, but infrastructure such as labs, hostels and student facilities has not kept pace with enrolment growth,” Pankaj Priya, deputy director and dean (academics) at BIMTECH, said.

He said Budget 2026 should prioritise capacity-building, research and employability. “The next phase of reform must pivot towards quality, deep research capacity and strong employability outcomes, not just expanding access,” Mr. Priya said.

He also stressed the need to align curricula with emerging technologies such as generative AI and machine learning, in line with the National Education Policy 2020.