NTA officials apprise parliamentary panel of steps to make exam system foolproof; members flag student suicides, suggest learning from international best practices
New Delhi, June 10
National Testing Agency officials are learnt to have briefed the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare on Wednesday about the steps taken to make the examination system foolproof in view of the recent paper leak in the NEET-UG exam, which is being probed by CBI.
Sources said that they apprised the committee of the risk mitigation measures being undertaken to strengthen the examination system.
The sources said that members of the committee suggested that best practices should also be followed from abroad to ensure glitch-free examination. A member is learnt have said that competitive exams are conducted on a large scale in countries like the US and China but there are no complaints of paper leaks.
The sources said that members raised concern over student suicides and there was a suggestion to help such families.
The members are learnt to have suggested greater coordination between NTA and NMC and emphasised that counselling should work in a way that no seats remain vacant.
Members are also learnt to have suggested that the morale of NTA should also be increased after the recent incident of paper leak and it should be encouraged to work with full enthusiasm.
Sources said that the members also called for measures to reduce stress of students.
NTA Director General Abhishek Singh, Secretary, Higher Education Vineet Joshi and NMC Chairman Abhijat C Sheth were among those who presented their views to the committee.
The Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare is headed by Samajwadi Party MP Ram Gopal Yadav.
The committee heard the views of the officials on 'Conduct of NEET examinations under NMC Act, 2019' as part of detailed examination of the subject 'Organisational Structure, Mandate and Functional Proficiency of Regulatory Institutions pertaining to Ministry of Health and Family Welfare'.
The NEET-UG 2026, which has been rescheduled for June 21. The CBI has made several arrests in the paper leak case.
Earlier, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan reviewed preparations for the NEET UG 2026 re-examination during a meeting with officials at the National Testing Agency (NTA) headquarters ahead of the re-test.
Addressing reporters after the meeting, Pradhan confirmed that the government has activated a high-level framework to ensure the entire process is conducted with absolute transparency.
"The CBI is getting to the bottom of the paper leak case. I have full faith in the CBI to uncover the details of the irregularities that occurred. I have requested the CBI to take the strictest possible action against those found guilty and apprehended, and to ensure a speedy trial in a fast-track court."
The Education Minister emphasised that the central government is leaving no stone unturned to ensure the upcoming re-test is held with total integrity.
"There have been various challenges in the past, and there are challenges this time as well. Chief Ministers of all states are extending their cooperation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is personally monitoring the conduct of this examination. Everyone should rest assured that any errors that occurred previously will not be repeated," he said.
— ANI
Reader Comments
The comparison with US and China is interesting but misleading - their systems are completely different. In India, one exam decides your entire future, that's the real problem. We need multiple attempts and holistic evaluation, not just better security.
The fact that CBI is investigating and PM is personally monitoring shows this is being taken seriously now. But why does it always take a major scandal for things to improve? We've been saying for years that the system needs overhaul. Better late than never I suppose.
I moved from the US to India for work, and the exam pressure here is unreal. In America, we have SAT multiple times a year, no single do-or-die moment. The mental health toll on Indian students is alarming. I appreciate the committee addressing suicides.
As someone who grew up in Canada, the concept of a single exam determining your medical career is baffling. We have MCAT, GPA, interviews, extracurriculars - multiple factors. India needs to modernize its entire approach, not just patch leaks.
Appreciate the steps but I'm skeptical. We've seen countless committees and recommendations before - what changes actually happen on ground? The real test will be June 21. Hope the high-level framework delivers this time. Student lives are at stake.
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