The Ministry of Education has requested an additional three weeks from the Supreme Court to submit a crucial report on the National Testing Agency (NTA) and its examination processes. This extension follows alleged irregularities in the conduct of the NEET-UG exam.
The seven-member committee, led by former ISRO Chairman K. Radhakrishnan, was established in June with a mandate to present its findings within two months. The committee’s original focus was to recommend reforms in the examination process, enhance data security protocols, and evaluate the overall structure and functioning of the NTA. However, in August, the Supreme Court broadened the scope of the committee’s work. It instructed the panel to investigate examination security, administration, and data protection measures, including encryption and secure transmission, in order to prevent leaks and unauthorized access to exam materials.
The deadline for the committee’s report had already been extended from August 22 to September 30. Now, the Centre is seeking to push this deadline further to October 21, stating that while a “comprehensive first draft” of the report has been prepared, further refinement is required to “effectively communicate the essence” of the deliberations and deliver a robust framework for future national entrance exams.
In its application to the Supreme Court, the Centre highlighted the committee’s extensive efforts, which included 22 meetings with various stakeholders, such as state governments, exam agencies, police, academicians, and global testing experts. The panel also received over 37,000 responses from students, guardians, and experts through the MyGov portal as part of a broader consultation process.
The review comes after a series of controversies surrounding the NEET-UG exam, including an alleged paper leak and a retest for over 1,500 candidates due to technical issues. Additionally, the UGC-NET, CSIR-UGC NET, and NEET-PG exams faced delays or cancellations in the wake of these irregularities. Although the Supreme Court ruled in August that there was no systemic leak of NEET-UG papers, it expressed concerns over how the NTA managed the examination process this year.
The committee’s final recommendations are expected to shape the future of national entrance exams and ensure greater security and transparency in the conduct of such high-stakes tests.