A Parliamentary Standing Committee has called for sweeping changes to the National Testing Agency and the way NEET-UG is conducted, including a two-stage examination format, reasonable age and attempt limits, and a shift from pen-and-paper to computer-based testing. The recommendations follow the cancellation of NEET (UG) 2026, which was held on May 3 and scrapped on May 12 amid allegations of a paper leak.

Examining the NTA’s role, the committee said trust in its examinations is a matter of social justice and national integrity, and recommended a legislative framework to ensure the agency’s accountability to both Houses of Parliament. Organised networks that profit from examination fraud are adaptive, the panel noted, and the NTA needs adequate staff, robust security protocols and digitalised operations to stay ahead.

Two stages, age caps and fewer attempts

Among the headline proposals: the NTA should study a two-stage format for its large examinations. Unlike the Civil Services Examination, which filters candidates through multiple stages, NEET-UG remains a single-stage test covering MBBS, BDS, nursing and AYUSH admissions together, handling more than 22 lakh students. A common preliminary examination for all medical streams, followed by specialised mains for specific courses, would test and rank a nursing or AYUSH aspirant separately from an MBBS candidate — reducing avoidable competition.

The committee was told that NEET-UG currently has no real limit on attempts or age, producing anomalies such as candidates above the age of 70 appearing for the exam. It recommends the government explore reasonable age and attempt limits for all major examinations, with an exception for UGC-NET.

Computer-based tests, question banks and permanent staff

The panel wants examinations moved to the computer-based test model instead of pen and paper, with government-owned and operated centres rather than private ones. It also recommended a National Registry of blacklisted examination vendors and a broad, continuously updated question bank. Repeatedly reusing question sets — or having examiners set fresh papers each year — risks the integrity of the process; a large, diverse question bank developed with experts from IITs, AIIMSs and IIMs, with integrity checks to rule out conflicts of interest such as coaching-centre owners, is the viable long-term defence against leaks, the panel said.

The report, titled “Reforms and Strengthening of NTA”, also flags a 41 per cent vacancy in sanctioned posts — only 23 of 39 positions are filled, all on deputation. It calls for the NTA to hire its own permanent officers, particularly specialists in psychometrics, examination security, digital infrastructure, data analytics and examination logistics, and for a concrete plan to build secure government computer-based testing centres.