NEET-UG 2025: Key Changes to Know from the NTA Committee Report
In response to recent challenges affecting NEET-UG 2024, including paper leaks and malpractices, the National Testing Agency (NTA) is likely to revise the NEET-UG 2025 exam structure. A seven-member expert committee, appointed by the Supreme Court of India, has been tasked with evaluating the NTA’s processes and suggesting reforms to ensure a secure, fair, and transparent examination system.
Here are some of the key proposals from the expert committee on NEET-UG 2025 Reforms:
A seven-member expert committee, led by former ISRO chief K. Radhakrishnan includes Randeep Guleria, B. J. Rao, Ramamurthy K., Pankaj Bansal, Aditya Mittal, and Govind Jaiswal. The committee has proposed the following key reforms and suggested ways to prevent paper leaks and malpractices:
1- Transition to Online and Hybrid Exams:
- The committee recommends shifting to online exams where feasible.
- For cases where fully online testing isn’t possible, a hybrid model is proposed. Exam papers would be sent digitally to centers, while students complete their answers on paper.
2- Multi-Stage Exam Format for Medical Aspirants:
- Similar to the JEE model, a two-stage exam format is suggested.
- This would help manage the large number of candidates and enable a more comprehensive evaluation.
3- Enhancing NTA Staffing:
- The committee recommends that the NTA increase the employment of full-time staff instead of mainly using temporary workers, for better exam management
4- Strengthening Data Security:
- The committee emphasized the importance of improving data security and suggested NTA to control more exam centers directly, to reduce dependence on outside centers.
5- Reducing Paper Leak Risks:
- The committee recommends digitally delivering question papers and releasing them closer to the exam date to minimize security risks.
6- Limiting Exam Attempts:
- To encourage serious preparation and maintain fairness in the exam, a limit on the number of NEET-UG attempts per candidate is suggested.
The Supreme Court is yet to finalize the report regarding NEET-UG 2025, following which, the NTA will officially announce any changes made. These reforms aim to ensure a secure, efficient, and fair examination process, empowering candidates with an improved experience.
