Parliamentary Committee Submits 382nd Report on NTA Reforms; Recommends Shifting NEET to CBT Mode

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth, and Sports, chaired by Shri Mukul Wasnik, submitted its 382nd report titled 'Reform and Strengthening of the National Testing Agency (NTA)' to the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha on October 9, 2026. In preparing this report, the committee considered suggestions from the Department of Higher Education under the Ministry of Education, secretaries from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Chairman and Director General of the NTA, and the high-level expert committee headed by Dr. K. Radhakrishnan.

The committee highlighted in the report that the NTA conducts critical examinations such as JEE-Main, NEET-UG, UGC-NET, and CUET for approximately 1.2 crore students annually. To prevent issues such as paper leaks, the committee suggested that the NTA should invest in creating a large and continuously updated question bank. Additionally, it recommended that question papers be prepared very close to the examination date and that paper-setters be kept in strict isolation.

The report suggests shifting the NEET-UG examination from the pen-and-paper mode to a Computer Based Test (CBT) approach on a priority basis. To facilitate this, the committee emphasized the establishment of 1,000 government-owned secure CBT centers and the development of digital infrastructure in Tier-2, Tier-3 cities, and rural areas. It further suggested that there should be at least one testing center in every district to reduce the financial and transportation burden on students.

Discussing the institutional framework, the committee found that 41 percent of the 39 sanctioned posts at the NTA are vacant. The committee recommended the permanent recruitment of experts in fields such as psychometrics, data analytics, and examination security instead of relying on deputations. Furthermore, it suggested developing a regulatory framework to control the growing influence of the coaching industry and ensuring that question papers are based solely on the official school curriculum.

For student welfare, the committee recommended providing mental health helplines, setting rational age and attempt limits for examinations like NEET-UG, and developing special protocols for students with disabilities. The report also suggested that the NTA should focus exclusively on entrance examinations for higher education institutions and be developed as a 'think-tank' for examination-related policies.