NEET UG 2026 OMR row reaches Supreme Court, hearing on October 15
By TUF News Desk · Published 14 October 2026 · 4 min read
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A NEET UG 2026 candidate has taken a dispute over an OMR answer sheet to the Supreme Court, and the court has agreed to hear it on October 15. The reason for the hurry is a deadline. The candidate’s counsel told the court on October 14 that the National Testing Agency (NTA) was set to destroy the original examination records the next day, when a 90-day retention period ends.
The plea challenges an OMR answer sheet in NEET UG 2026, the entrance test for undergraduate medical admissions. The Supreme Court has not yet decided the merits of the challenge. On October 14 it only agreed to list the matter quickly, so the records question could be dealt with before the deadline the counsel pointed to.
What happened on October 14
The matter came up for mentioning before a bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi. The candidate’s counsel asked for an urgent hearing and said the NTA would destroy the original records the next day because the 90-day period was ending.
The Chief Justice first indicated that the matter could be listed on Friday. The counsel stressed that the deadline fell before that, and asked for the matter to be heard on Thursday. The bench then agreed to list it on October 15 before a bench headed by Justice P. S. Narasimha.
During the mentioning, the bench asked the counsel about the gap between the examination and the filing of the plea. The counsel said the petitioner had approached the High Court first.
Why the 90-day deadline matters
The OMR sheet is the document at the centre of the dispute. If the original records are destroyed, they cannot be produced or checked later. The court passed no final order on the records on October 14. It listed the matter for October 15 instead.
How the case reached the Supreme Court
The candidate did not come to the Supreme Court first. An intra-court appeal filed by the candidate was dismissed by a Division Bench of the Gujarat High Court on October 12.
That dismissal brought the matter to the Supreme Court two days later. The October 14 mentioning was about listing, not the substance of the challenge. The October 15 bench will decide what happens next.
What to watch on October 15
The first thing to watch is the causelist on the Supreme Court website, which will confirm the bench and the item number. The second is what the bench says about the records, since that was the reason for the urgent listing.
The court case is about one candidate’s OMR sheet. Counselling runs on its own schedule, so unless a court order says otherwise, candidates should follow the notices on the official counselling portal and keep their documents ready. Our admission documents checklist covers the paperwork colleges usually ask for at reporting time. Our guide to choosing a university in India covers fees and location checks.
For exam-related notices, the NTA website remains the official source. Do not act on forwarded messages claiming a court order has changed the counselling schedule.
Frequently asked questions
When will the Supreme Court hear the NEET UG 2026 OMR plea?
The plea is listed for October 15, 2026, before a bench headed by Justice P. S. Narasimha. The Supreme Court agreed to the urgent listing on October 14.
Why was the NEET UG OMR plea listed urgently?
The candidate’s counsel told the court that the NTA was set to destroy the original examination records the next day, when a 90-day retention period ends. The court agreed to hear the matter before that deadline.
What happened in the Gujarat High Court before this plea?
The candidate first approached the High Court. An intra-court appeal filed by the candidate was dismissed by a Division Bench of the Gujarat High Court on October 12, after which the matter reached the Supreme Court.
Where can NEET UG candidates check official updates?
Candidates should check the Supreme Court website for the causelist and the NTA website for exam notices, and rely on the counselling portal for seat allotment updates.
Frequently asked questions
When will the Supreme Court hear the NEET UG 2026 OMR plea?
The plea is listed for October 15, 2026, before a bench headed by Justice P. S. Narasimha. The Supreme Court agreed to the urgent listing on October 14.
Why was the NEET UG OMR plea listed urgently?
The candidate's counsel told the court that the NTA was set to destroy the original examination records the next day, when a 90-day retention period ends. The court agreed to hear the matter before that deadline.
What happened in the Gujarat High Court before this plea?
The candidate first approached the High Court. An intra-court appeal filed by the candidate was dismissed by a Division Bench of the Gujarat High Court on October 12, after which the matter reached the Supreme Court.
Where can NEET UG candidates check official updates?
Candidates should check the Supreme Court website for the causelist and the NTA website for exam notices, and rely on the counselling portal for seat allotment updates.
Sources: Live Law, Times Now, Jagran Josh