Narasimha and Justice Alok Aradhe granted the parties time to respond to the Centre's counter affidavit and listed the matter for further hearing on August 19. The Bench observed that it would consider all aspects of the matter after receiving replies and suggestions from the petitioners. The affidavit further stated that the Government has undertaken a comprehensive overhaul of the NEET examination process following the controversy surrounding the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak, with multiple measures introduced to strengthen security and prevent future lapses. Notably, NEET-UG 2026 was cancelled following allegations of a paper leak, after which a re-examination was conducted on June 21. The alleged paper leak is presently under investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).