A parliamentary panel has summoned the National Testing Agency (NTA) chief to review reforms in the wake of the NEET-UG paper leak, which has raised serious concerns about procedural flaws in one of the country's most competitive examinations. NTA chairperson Pradeep Kumar Joshi and other bureaucrats have been called for deliberations on May 21.
Committee Meeting Details
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports will seek views from top education ministry officials on the alleged paper leak and reforms of the NTA, which conducts centralized admission tests for various undergraduate courses. The agenda includes a review of the implementation of the K Radhakrishnan Committee report on NTA reforms and an update on the investigation into the alleged NEET-UG paper leak case. The committee, headed by Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, has also summoned Vineet Joshi, secretary of the higher education department.
NEET-UG Cancellation and Re-examination
The NTA cancelled the National Eligibility cum Entrance Exam (Undergraduate) held on May 3 amid allegations of irregularities. Nearly 23 lakh candidates had registered for the test, which was administered by the NTA across the country. According to the NTA, information regarding the alleged malpractice was received on the evening of May 7, four days after the examination. Education minister Dharmendra Pradhan announced that the NEET-UG re-examination would be held on June 21 and that the medical entrance test would shift to a computer-based format from next year.
Broader Discussions on Education
The panel is also set to discuss the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on the education sector and ways to improve students' employability. Representatives from Anthropic India, Pratham, IIT Kanpur, Infosys, and IIT Madras have been invited for the deliberations. In a separate sitting, the committee will hold discussions with the vice-chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) and the chairperson of the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions (NCMEI) on issues concerning educational institutions, including implementation of reservations, vacancies, and the National Education Policy (NEP).
Review of Previous Reports
The panel will further review its 379th report on action taken by the government on recommendations made in the 365th report concerning Demands for Grants 2025-26 of the Ministry of Women and Child Development. It will also examine the 380th report on action taken regarding recommendations in the 368th report on the functioning of the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) and teacher training initiatives under NEP 2020.
