Centre Tells Supreme Court NEET-UG Shift to Computer-Based Testing Under Consideration

The Indian government has informed the Supreme Court that it is actively considering migrating the NEET-UG examination from a pen-and-paper mode to a Computer-Based Testing (CBT) format. According to an affidavit filed by the Ministry of Education, authorities are reviewing whether the exam should be held in a single stage or a two-stage format similar to the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) for engineering. Any final decision on the structural design of the exam will be made following recommendations from a High-Powered Task Force on Examination Reforms, chaired by Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani, and in consultation with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the National Medical Commission.

The government noted that NEET-UG is a unique examination due to its scale, with over 22 lakh registered candidates, many of whom are women or from rural areas. To prevent future paper leaks and systemic failures, the Centre stated it has implemented a comprehensive overhaul of the examination process. This includes the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act of 2026, which provides for penalties up to 10 years of imprisonment and fines up to 1 crore rupees. The National Testing Agency (NTA) has also introduced a 10-stage security protocol involving air-gapped AI systems for drafting and tamper-evident packaging for question papers.

Reporting on the event varied by political lean. Center-leaning coverage focused on the specific logistical considerations of the two-stage format and the composition of the task force. Center-left coverage highlighted the context of the Education Minister's resignation following the 2026 leaks. Center-right coverage emphasized the government's resolve to eliminate fraud through a comprehensive overhaul and the technical details of the new security measures.