Authority: Supreme Court of India

Order Date: 18-09-2026

Case Overview

  • Petitioner: Federation of All India Medical Association; Respondents: National Testing Agency and others.
  • Applications listed: IA No. 157111/2026 (ex‑parte ad‑interim relief), IA No. 158602/2026 (stay), W.P.(C) Nos. 668/2026, 659/2026, 675/2026 (PIL‑W) for admission.
  • The Court allowed IA No. 251021 of 2026 for intervention/impleadment.
  • The Court recalled its order dated 19.08.2026 directing the Secretary, Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education to file an affidavit; the affidavit was filed and placed before the High Powered Committee.

Observations & Directions

  • The affidavit states that NTA is transitioning from exam‑specific units to a functional vertical structure to build specialized, domain‑specific capabilities across core operational areas.
  • NTA leadership has been upgraded with a Secretary‑level Director General, supported by officers from IAS, IPS, IRS, Indian Statistical Service, Indian Ordnance Factory Service, Indian Supply Service, etc.
  • Open‑market recruitment of domain specialists in security, HR, and R&D is underway.
  • Confidential operations have been moved to a dedicated 55,524 sq ft government facility at Minto Road, New Delhi, protected by 39 CISF personnel, X‑Ray screening, metal detectors and strict access control.
  • The Court directed NTA to place the affidavit on its web‑portal for stakeholder visibility.
  • The Court directed the Joint Secretary, Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), coordinating with the High Powered Task Force, to file an affidavit indicating the Committee’s progress within two weeks from the order date.
  • Any suggestions from counsel or stakeholders may be sent to Ms. Madhulika Upadhyay, Advocate, at cas‑unit76@gov.in.
  • The next listing of the matter is scheduled for 09‑10‑2026.

Final Outcome

  • Intervention/impleadment of the Federation of All India Medical Association is permitted.
  • NTA must publicly disclose its restructuring details via its portal.
  • DoPT must submit a progress affidavit within two weeks.
  • The matter will be heard again on 09‑Oct‑2026.

Topics: Education Policy, Judicial Orders