NEET in two stages, fewer attempts, digital question papers, hybrid mode, suggests panel: Reports

NEW DELHI: For the National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET), a hybrid model, multiple-stage exam, and less number of attempts have been proposed by the reform committee, as per various media reports. A seven-member panel led by former Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman K Radhakrishnan, formed after the NEET UG paper leak incident this year, reportedly submitted its key recommendations on conduct of entrance examinations to the education ministry.

Suggesting putting a limit on outsourcing and contract-based services, the panel has suggested the National Testing Agency (NTA) to increase the number of examination centres and recruit more permanent personnel to tighten the hold on administration of the exam, an Indian Express report said. The committee is especially not in favour of the private test centres, IE has learned.

Online exam or hybrid model

While the committee members widely encouraged conduct of online entrance tests wherever possible, they also advocated for a hybrid mode in cases otherwise, as per the IE report. Under the hybrid model, the NEET question papers will be transported digitally to the exam centre while students will write answers on an Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) sheet only, the report explained. This suggestion comes after the NEET UG 2024 question paper was allegedly stolen while being carried on an e-Rickshaw and solved by the cheating gang before the exam in a Jharkhand school, which was among the major centers of paper leak.

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Two-stage exam like JEE

Just like the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) which is held in two stages, the NEET exam can also be conducted more than once to address the huge number of medical aspirants, the Radhakrishnan-led panel reportedly proposed. Moreover, it suggested restricting the number of attempts in the NEET UG exam, which are currently unlimited.

NEET UG paper leak fiasco

Following the NEET UG paper leak, the ministry of education in June formed a high-level committee including the former director of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi Randeep Guleria to give recommendations on reforms in the examination process, improvements in data security protocols, and the structure and functioning of the testing agency.

The NEET UG exam held on May 5 this year sparked a widespread controversy over alleged paper leak, introduction of grace marks, disparity in scores, unusual number of toppers, and irregularities in NEET UG results 2024. From students to politicians, a large number of people protested the fiasco, targeting the union government.

Aspirants dragged NTA and centre to the Supreme Court, ultimately leading to the cancellation and revision of NEET UG 2024 result followed by a drop in the number of NEET UG toppers 2024. The top court, however, refused to cancel the exam noting a lack of enough data to show widespread breach.

NEET exam is conducted every year for admission to the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) and Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) programmes offered by medical and dental colleges across the country.