Key Supreme Court Orders Affecting NEET UG - News & Notifications NEET

Age limit, OBC reservation, exam integrity - plain language summaries

1. No upper age limit - SC upheld removal

Background: The National Testing Agency (NTA) had earlier prescribed an upper age limit for the undergraduate medical entrance: 25 years for unreserved candidates and 30 years for candidates in reserved categories. The Government later removed the upper age limit. This removal was challenged in court and the Supreme Court upheld the Government's decision.

Current position (2026):

• There is no upper age limit for NEET UG 2026.
• Any candidate who is at least 17 years old as of 31 December 2026 and who fulfils the other prescribed eligibility requirements may appear for the examination.
• The Supreme Court ruling upholding removal of the upper age limit is in force for 2026 admissions.

Implications: Candidates who would previously have been barred because of the earlier upper-age restriction are now eligible, provided they meet the minimum age and other academic or documental eligibility criteria required by the authorities conducting counselling and admissions.

2. OBC-NCL reservation in AIQ seats - SC upheld

Background: From 2021 the Government implemented reservation for Other Backward Classes - Non-Creamy Layer (OBC-NCL) and for the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) in central All India Quota seats. The notified shares are 27% for OBC-NCL and 10% for EWS. This policy was legally challenged.

Supreme Court ruling and present effect:

• The Supreme Court upheld the reservation policy in its judgment delivered in January 2022.
• The 27% OBC-NCL and 10% EWS reservation now applies to all All India Quota (AIQ) seats, which include centrally managed seats such as those in AIIMS and JIPMER.
• The change has increased access to centrally allocated medical seats for OBC-NCL and EWS candidates under AIQ counselling.

Note on terminology: AIQ (All India Quota) refers to seats set aside for nationwide counselling and allocation by the central authority rather than by state authorities; these seats are filled through centralised processes such as the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC).

3. NEET UG exam integrity - after the 2024 paper leak controversy

Background: In 2024 allegations of a paper leak created significant controversy and led to multiple hearings before the Supreme Court. Cancellation of the exam was considered by the Court but ultimately not ordered because the Court found no demonstrable proof of a systemic, widespread paper leak that would justify cancellation.

Changes implemented for 2026:

• Aadhaar-based eKYC verification has been introduced at registration to strengthen identity verification and reduce the risk of impersonation. Electronic Know Your Customer (eKYC) uses Aadhaar authentication to confirm the candidate's identity before finalising registration.
• Stricter biometric verification at examination centres has been instituted to match test-takers to their registered biometrics at the time of entry and during the exam.
• The NTA's test administration processes are under enhanced oversight by an expert committee to improve transparency and security of exam conduct.
• A task force has been constituted to recommend further reforms aimed at preventing malpractice and improving exam integrity and delivery.

Practical effect for candidates: Candidates should ensure their Aadhaar details and biometric records are correct and available as required; they must follow updated instructions for identity checks at centres. Central authorities have increased procedural safeguards to protect the fairness and credibility of the examination.

4. NEET exemption for states - rejected

Several state governments, notably including Tamil Nadu, enacted legislation seeking to conduct their own state medical entrance tests and requested exemption from the centrally mandated NEET system. The Supreme Court rejected these attempts.

As a result, NEET remains the single, mandatory entrance test for undergraduate medical admissions across India. State laws seeking an alternative pathway to admissions have not been accepted where they conflict with the centralised NEET framework.

Consequences: Uniform testing through NEET preserves a single standard for eligibility and ranking nationwide; states must participate in the NEET-based admission process even if they had proposed or passed alternative examinations.

5. AFMC - women candidates allowed from 2025

Change in policy: The Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC), Pune, opened its MBBS seats to women candidates from 2025 following a Government policy change.

• Women candidates who satisfy AFMC's prescribed eligibility criteria are eligible to apply through the centralised counselling mechanism and the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC).
• Selected candidates must also complete AFMC's specific screening procedure, which includes the institute's second screening test and service-related medical and fitness requirements.

Implication: The policy change allows women to contest for AFMC seats under the same centralised admission and counselling process, subject to AFMC's additional selection and medical criteria.

Summary

By 2026 the legal and administrative landscape for undergraduate medical admissions reflects: removal of an upper-age cap (upheld by the Supreme Court), continuation of centralised reservation in AIQ (27% OBC-NCL and 10% EWS), strengthened identity and security measures in exam conduct after the 2024 controversy, rejection of state-level exemptions from NEET, and opening of AFMC MBBS seats to women from 2025. Candidates should follow official NTA and MCC notifications for detailed, up-to-date procedural instructions and eligibility conditions.