Centre plans national computer-based testing infrastructure after NEET leak

New Delhi, Sep 30 (PTI) The Ministry of Education is developing a national examination-grade Computer-Based Testing (CBT) infrastructure strategy to ensure a seamless transition of the pen-and-paper entrance exam NEET to online mode, officials said.

Following the NEET paper leak earlier this year, the Centre announced that it will conduct the medical entrance exam in CBT mode from next year. Officials, aware of the development, said that while the plan is under active consideration, they will make a final decision only after receiving the report from the Nandan Nilekani-led task force set up to overhaul India's public examination systems.

While NEET has been conducted in pen-and-paper mode so far, the National Testing Agency (NTA) conducts several other exams, including the engineering entrance JEE-Main, the Common University Entrance Test (CUET)-UG and PG, and UGC-NET and CSIR UGC-NET, as computer-based tests. Once the infrastructure strategy is in place, the plan is to move all entrance exams online.

"A national examination-grade CBT infrastructure strategy is being formulated to close the geographic gap

in test-centre availability, standardise centre-level examination-grade specifications and to permit the migration to CBT from the pen-and-paper mode examinations. The strategy is under active consideration based on a multi-model sourcing architecture," a senior Ministry of Education official told PTI, on the condition of anonymity.

The move comes amid the ongoing overhaul of the NTA, the nodal autonomous body that conducts the National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET)-UG and other entrance tests for higher educational institutions.

"The possible migration of NEET (UG) from the pen-and-paper mode to CBT, including the design of the transition, the sequencing, the infrastructure prerequisites, and the equity implications for rural, women and low-connectivity-district candidates, is being worked upon.

"However, the recommendations of the High-Level Task Force on exam reforms in structured consultation and concurrence of the Health Ministry and National Medical Commission are awaited," the official said.

The leak of the NEET-UG medical entrance exam paper earlier this year sparked nationwide student protests and led to the resignation of then Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

A day after Pradhan's resignation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the formation of a high-powered task force, headed by Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani, to recommend reforms to make the exam system leakproof. The panel has yet to submit its report.

The NEET-UG is the country's largest undergraduate entrance exam, with nearly 25 lakh candidates appearing for the crucial test.

The NTA conducts NEET every year for admission into medical colleges. A total of 1,08,000 seats are available for the MBBS course.

Of the seats available for the MBBS course, approximately 56,000 are in government hospitals and about 52,000 in private colleges. Admissions to undergraduate courses in Dentistry,

Ayurveda, Unani, and Siddha also use the NEET results for admission.

The idea of switching to CBT mode for NEET is not new and has been deliberated several times before. However, the push for the exam reforms came following the paper leak controversy.

Experts said the transition to CBT mode is feasible, but its success will depend on verified capacity, security and equal access.

"Moving from paper to screen can reduce vulnerabilities in printing and transportation and improve response records, but it cannot automatically eliminate insider collusion or malpractice. We must count accredited examination seats, not merely computers," said Keshav Agarwal, president, Educators Federation of India.

"Institutional declarations should be followed by physical inspections and full-load rehearsals. The shift structure must also be decided early: a single sitting requires simultaneous capacity for every candidate, while multiple shifts require independently validated papers and transparent score-equating methods," he said.

Ashish Mittal, a whole-time director at Innovatiview India Limited, said that moving large-scale entrance examinations to computer-based testing is not simply a shift from paper to screens.

"....it requires a reliable, purpose-built, standardised and secure examination infrastructure across the country. The focus must be on ensuring that technology, physical infrastructure, security and operations integrate into one auditable examination system with candidate experience at the epicentre.

"Initiatives such as Aadarsh Pariksha Kendra are part of this larger conversation around creating examination centres that can meet consistent standards at scale. As India goes digital, the future of high-stakes examinations should prioritise building a system that is secure, dependable and equitable for every candidate," he added.

Innovatiview India Limited is a technology-driven company providing automated ancillary security and surveillance solutions for examinations, elections and large-scale events.