NEW DELHI — Following a 2026 NEET-UG paper leak that triggered nationwide protests and an education minister's resignation, testing agency officials reassured the Supreme Court on Tuesday that the ongoing crisis is being handled by an entirely new committee unburdened by past solutions.

The judicial inquiry comes as the apex court attempts to locate the exam reform recommendations drafted by the Radhakrishnan Committee after an identical paper leak in 2024. Officials clarified that rather than implementing those findings to prevent the "catastrophic failure" that recently affected 23 lakh medical aspirants, the government has instead formed the Nandan Nilekani task force to draft fresh recommendations that can be similarly filed away.

"We have learned a great deal from the 2024 leak, primarily that forming a high-profile task force is an excellent way to project action," said an agency spokesperson. Addressing the Supreme Court's concern that the 2026 panel might discard the 2024 reforms "lock, stock, and barrel," the spokesperson confirmed that maintaining continuous implementation is difficult when the institution's primary function is pivoting between scandals.

The Supreme Court, which expressed hope that the testing body could one day become a "vibrant institution" like the UPSC, has directed the agency to submit a status update on the old reforms before the next paper leak necessitates a third committee.