NTA taps AICTE to build test centres for NEET-UG

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has asked the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) to collect information from Government institutions on their IT infrastructure and available space to develop testing centres for computer-based examinations for NEET-UG next year, officials said.

The AICTE has further asked its affiliated Government institutes to provide details of their available information technology infrastructure and vacant or unutilised spaces for an assessment related to the establishment of Standard Testing Centres (STCs) across the country.

“The centres of CBT cannot be outsourced to small private players and have to be chosen after assessment on strict parameters. AICTE, being the technical education regulator, has a lot of tech colleges which are equipped with the infrastructure,” a senior NTA official said.

The move comes amid the ongoing overhaul of the NTA — the nodal autonomous body that conducts NEET-UG and other entrance tests for higher educational institutions — after the paper leak earlier this year.

Following the paper leak, which led to nationwide outrage, the Centre announced that the medical entrance exam, NEET-UG, will be conducted in CBT mode from 2027 instead of a pen-and-paper-based test.

“NTA conducts various national-level exams in CBT mode. With the progressive migration of examination modes and the requirement for a wider geographically distributed network of testing centres, NTA is assessing the availability of suitable infrastructure in Government institutions across the country,” the AICTE said in a letter to heads of institutions.

AICTE has clarified that the information is being sought only from Government colleges and institutions that have received approval from the council. The institutions have been directed to ensure that all details submitted are accurate, complete and properly verified by the competent authority concerned before submission.

The technical education regulator has also shared a format with the institutions, asking them to provide details of the number of functional computers available and other IT infrastructure, networking and internet connectivity, availability of power backup, CCTV and related facilities. Details about vacant space have also been sought.