The Ministry of Education is working on a national-level Computer-Based Testing (CBT) infrastructure strategy that could pave the way for NEET-UG to move from its existing pen-and-paper format to an online examination system according to media reports.The proposed shift is being examined as part of the broader effort to strengthen India’s public examination system following the NEET-UG paper leak controversy. However, the government is expected to take a final decision only after receiving the recommendations of the high-level task force headed by Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani.
Centre plans national CBT infrastructure for entrance exams
A senior Ministry of Education official told PTI that the government is preparing a national examination-grade CBT infrastructure framework. The proposed system is intended to address the uneven availability of suitable test centres across the country, establish common technical standards, and make it possible to shift examinations currently held in pen-and-paper format to computer-based testing.The strategy is also being considered through a multi-model sourcing approach, under which different mechanisms could potentially be used to create and expand examination infrastructure.The move is not limited to NEET-UG. Once the required infrastructure is established, the broader objective is to facilitate the migration of more entrance examinations to the online mode.Several major examinations conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA), including JEE Main, CUET-UG, CUET-PG, UGC-NET and CSIR-UGC-NET, are already conducted in CBT mode. NEET-UG remains one of the major exceptions, with candidates currently taking the examination using pen and paper.
NEET online shift to factor in rural and low-connectivity areas
Moving an examination as large as NEET-UG to CBT would require more than simply setting up additional computer centres. The government is examining how the transition would affect candidates in rural and remote areas, particularly those living in districts with limited connectivity and access to examination infrastructure.The Ministry official said the proposed NEET transition plan is examining the sequencing of the shift, infrastructure requirements, and its implications for equity among candidates, including rural candidates and women.This aspect assumes importance because NEET-UG is taken by candidates from across the country, including students from areas where access to reliable digital infrastructure may be limited.The government is therefore looking at the infrastructure requirements before making a final decision on the mode of the examination.
Nandan Nilekani-led task force report awaited
The proposed changes are also linked to the wider examination reforms being considered by the Centre.The NEET-UG paper leak controversy triggered widespread protests and prompted the government to examine vulnerabilities in the country’s examination system. Prime Minister Narendra Modi subsequently announced a high-powered task force headed by Nandan Nilekani to recommend measures to strengthen and secure public examinations.The task force’s recommendations are still awaited. According to the Ministry official, the final approach to shifting NEET-UG to CBT will take into account the panel’s recommendations as well as consultations with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the National Medical Commission.The NTA is separately undergoing an overhaul as the government reviews the way major entrance and eligibility examinations are conducted.
NEET-UG is taken by nearly 25 lakh candidates
The scale of NEET-UG makes the proposed transition particularly challenging. Nearly 25 lakh candidates appear for the examination every year, making it one of India’s largest undergraduate entrance tests.NEET scores are used for admission to MBBS programmes as well as undergraduate courses in dentistry, Ayurveda, Unani, and Siddha. There are around 1.08 lakh MBBS seats in the country, including approximately 56,000 seats in government medical colleges and around 52,000 in private institutions.A shift to CBT would therefore require a large and geographically distributed network of examination centres capable of handling the candidate volume while maintaining uniform examination conditions.
NEET CBT proposal gains momentum after paper leak
The possibility of conducting NEET-UG online is not new. The proposal has been discussed at various points in the past, but the recent examination controversy has given fresh momentum to the idea.For the government, the immediate task is to determine whether the country has, or can build, the infrastructure needed for such a large-scale transition without creating new disadvantages for candidates.For now, NEET-UG continues to remain a pen-and-paper examination. The Centre is working on the infrastructure framework, while the final decision on the transition to CBT is expected after the Nilekani-led task force submits its recommendations and consultations with the health authorities are completed.
