Trust PM, will deliver justice: Panel on NEET

Amid ongoing controversies around the conduct of nationwide entrance exams by the National Testing Agency (NTA), a Parliamentary panel on Monday expressed confidence in the Union Government’s efforts to ensure a fair examination process. The meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports was convened to review issues related to higher education, examination reforms and the upcoming National Eligibility cum Entrance Test-Under Graduate (NEET-UG) re-examination during the first day of its two-day meeting.

During the discussion, some ruling party members reportedly questioned the timing of such deliberations while investigations into the NEET controversy were still underway and raised concerns about the alleged politicisation of the issue.

According to sources, Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee, Digvijay Singh, remarked during the meeting that the committee must trust Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the system while asserting that no injustice will be done to students.

Secretary (Higher Education) Vineet Joshi, Secretary (Health and Family Welfare) Punya Salila Srivastava and NTA DG Abhishek Singh were summoned by the Committee on Monday to appear before it to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the pen and paper and the CBT systems. The NTA earlier informed the Supreme Court that NEET-UG will transition to the CBT format in 2027 to enhance examination security. The recommendation to transition to a computer-based test was made by a high-level expert committee. The meeting was also attended by top officials from the education ministry and NTA officials.

NTA officials told the panel that the agency’s complete focus for now was to hold the NEET-UG re-test on June 21 in pen-paper format, sources said. They are learnt to have told the panel that the NTA intends to hold the NEET exam in CBT format from 2027.

Members sought details from officials on measures being adopted to ensure a fool-proof examination process. Sources say officials informed the panel that extensive efforts were being undertaken to eliminate loopholes, including greater reliance on in-house paper setters, teachers and professors to strengthen the system.

The committee also urged authorities to adopt stringent and innovative safeguards ahead of the June 21 examination and emphasised the need for close coordination between the education ministry and the health ministry to ensure the smooth conduct of the test, the sources said.

The committee will again meet on Tuesday to review the use of the On-Screen Marking system (OSM) in CBSE board exams and issues faced by students in the wake of technical glitches.

Among the key agenda items before the committee were on financial grants and related to the use of traditional pen-and-paper examinations versus Computer-Based Testing (CBT).