Education Minister Shifts NEET-UG to Computer-Based Testing After Leaks

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan announced that the NEET-UG examination will transition to a computer-based test format starting next year. This decision follows the cancellation of the May 3 exam after reports of malpractice emerged on May 7, affecting nearly 23 lakh candidates. Pradhan scheduled the re-examination for June 21.

The move to digital testing contradicts a 2025 recommendation from the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports, which favored a pen-and-paper model based on the success of UPSC and CBSE exams. The committee, led by Digvijaya Singh, summoned National Testing Agency (NTA) Chairperson Pradeep Kumar Joshi and Education Ministry Secretary Vineet Joshi for a May 21 review to examine the paper leak investigation and reforms proposed by the K Radhakrishnan Committee.

The NTA faces intensifying criticism for operational failures and frequent postponements. While the parliamentary panel expressed a lack of confidence in the agency's performance, a high-level committee in Tamil Nadu led by retired Supreme Court judge Kurian Joseph recommended disbanding the NTA entirely. That panel argued the agency's lack of statutory backing and reliance on contract staff creates a single-point-failure risk and undermines educational federalism.