A parliamentary committee has called for a major overhaul of the National Testing Agency (NTA), the body that runs NEET-UG, JEE Main, CUET and UGC-NET for more than a crore students every year. In its 382nd report, presented on Friday, October 9, the Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports, chaired by Congress MP Mukul Wasnik, recommended moving NEET-UG to computer-based testing, exploring age and attempt limits, and making NTA answerable to Parliament.
The report comes after a tough year for the agency. NEET-UG 2026, held on May 3, was cancelled by NTA on May 12 amid paper-leak allegations, triggering student protests across the country.
What the committee found
The panel's sharpest finding is about people. NTA has just 39 sanctioned posts, of which only 23 are filled, a vacancy rate of about 41%. Every filled post is held by an officer on deputation, usually for two to three years, which the committee said is too short to build real expertise in exam security or test design. It also noted that the agency's top job had been held as an additional charge for long stretches.
The committee said privately run, subcontracted exam centres have often been the weakest link in exam security, and flagged that vendors blacklisted by one body still win contracts elsewhere. It acknowledged that NTA has tightened security since 2024 with Aadhaar-based biometrics, AI-assisted CCTV and mobile jammers, but said the 2026 cancellation shows this is not enough.
The Department of Higher Education told the panel that no NTA exam had a paper leak between 2017 and 2025, although there were cases of malpractice and disruption. Some committee members disagreed with that assessment.
Key recommendations
- Computer-based NEET-UG, in phases: build government-run test centres first, give students mock tests, and use a hybrid model with encrypted papers printed at centres where internet is weak.
- Government-owned centres: at least one per district, with priority for Tier-2, Tier-3 and rural areas, to cut dependence on private centres.
- Age and attempt limits: explore "reasonable" caps for major exams, including NEET-UG, in consultation with the Health Ministry. The committee noted that some NEET candidates have been over 70.
- Two-stage NEET: study a common preliminary test followed by stream-specific mains, so nursing and AYUSH aspirants are not ranked against MBBS candidates.
- Accountability to Parliament: an annual report on cases under the Public Examinations Act, and an independent oversight body to audit security.
- Permanent experts: hire specialists in psychometrics, exam security, data and IT, and stop additional-charge appointments to key posts.
- Vendor blacklist: a public national registry of blacklisted exam vendors.
- Tighter paper security: a large question bank, final papers drawn digitally close to the exam, and paper-setters screened for coaching links.
- Annual percentile review: a data-based review of the NEET qualifying percentile linked to seat availability.
Report at a glance
| Report | 382nd report on reforms of the National Testing Agency |
| Committee | Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports |
| Chair | Mukul Wasnik (Congress, Rajya Sabha) |
| Presented | October 9, 2026 |
| NTA staff | 23 of 39 posts filled (about 41% vacant) |
| NEET-UG candidates | Over 22 lakh a year |
| Status | Recommendations are advisory, not binding |
What it means for students
For now, nothing changes. Standing committee reports are recommendations, and the Education Ministry and NTA have not yet responded publicly. NEET-UG 2027 has not been confirmed as a computer-based exam, and no age or attempt limit has been announced.
That said, the direction is clear. Students preparing for NEET should get comfortable with on-screen tests, since a move to computer-based testing is now backed by both an earlier expert committee and this parliamentary panel. Older aspirants and repeaters should follow the age-limit debate closely. India has been here before: an upper age limit for NEET was introduced in 2017, challenged in the Supreme Court, and later dropped by the National Medical Commission in 2022.
Students in smaller towns could benefit most if the plan for a government test centre in every district goes ahead, as it would mean shorter journeys and fewer private centres.
What happens next
The government is expected to send an action-taken reply to the committee, explaining which recommendations it accepts. Any change to NEET's format would need to be announced well before the 2027 exam cycle through official NTA notices. Students should rely only on NTA's official website for exam rules and dates.
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