NEET-UG 2026 OMR Discrepancy: Supreme Court Allows 6 Candidates to Approach Delhi High Court Over Alleged OMR Mismatch

The Supreme Court on August 7 declined to entertain a plea by six NEET-UG 2026 candidates who alleged that OMR sheets released by the National Testing Agency (NTA) did not match the answers they marked during the June 21 re-examination. A bench of Justice P. S. Narasimha and Justice Alok Aradhe allowed the candidates to approach the Delhi High Court for relief. India Today reported that the candidates sought access to their OMR sheets to verify the answers recorded by the NTA and the marks awarded to them.

Also see: NEET-UG 2026 Paper Leak: NTA’s Own Experts Accused of Leaking Questions for Cash, CBI Chargesheets 13

The six NEET-UG 2026 candidates alleged that the OMR sheets released by the National Testing Agency (NTA) did not match the answers they had marked during the June 21 re-examination. Represented by Advocate Sanjeev Malhotra, the candidates told the Supreme Court that they were seeking access to their original OMR sheets to verify the recorded answers and marks.

According to India Today, the candidates were not seeking cancellation of the examination or any interference with the ongoing counseling process. Medical Dialogues reported that the petitioners claimed scores in the 600–650 range and said the alleged discrepancy came to light only after the results were declared.

The Supreme Court declined to entertain the NEET-UG 2026 OMR discrepancy plea after noting that the re-examination had already been conducted and that broader issues involving the National Testing Agency (NTA) and examination reforms were already before the Court. The bench of Justice P. S. Narasimha and Justice Alok Aradhe allowed the six candidates to approach the Delhi High Court for relief.

The Telegraph reported that the bench acted “without expressing any opinion on the merits of the allegations.” The Supreme Court therefore did not determine whether the OMR sheets released by the NTA actually differed from the answers marked by the candidates.

The OMR allegations followed the cancellation of the May 3 NEET-UG 2026 examination. According to Medical Dialogues, the NTA canceled the exam on May 12 following the paper leak controversy and conducted a re-examination on June 21. Results were declared on July 16.

Medical Dialogues reported that more than 22.7 lakh candidates appeared for the original examination. The latest OMR dispute is among the challenges raised over the evaluation of NEET-UG 2026.

Also see: NEET PG 2026 Reforms: Centre Announces Nearby Exam Centres, Test City Intimation 3 Weeks Before Exam, Single-Shift Test

The six candidates can now approach the Delhi High Court for relief over their alleged OMR discrepancies. Their request is to obtain the original OMR sheets and have their individual grievances considered.

The Supreme Court did not rule on whether the alleged mismatch occurred. The Telegraph reported that the bench expressed no opinion on the merits of the allegations while allowing the candidates to seek relief from the Delhi High Court.

(Rh/TP/MSM)