National Testing Agency (NTA) Director General Abhishek Singh appeared before a parliamentary committee amid widespread controversy over the leak of NEET-UG exam papers across the country. Education Secretary Binit Joshi was also present in the meeting on Thursday. The meeting started at 11 am and lasted for about five hours.
According to sources, the committee members questioned the NTA chief about question paper leaks and ways to strengthen the examination process. NEET-UG exam will be computer based from next year. So the committee members want to know the computer based exam infrastructure, how many times the exam will be conducted, duration of the exam and other details.
“The meeting went very well and the views of all members were taken,” Digvijay Singh, chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports, told reporters after the meeting. He said all members were “very concerned” about NTA’s exam-related issues. However, he could not tell the details of the meeting now. When asked when the next meeting will be held, he simply said, ‘Let’s see.
According to sources, the NTA Director General briefed the committee about the current status of the investigation and future security arrangements. It is learned that the committee members raised strong questions about the NEET-UG 2026 question paper leak and sought a clear idea on the steps taken to strengthen the NTA examination system.
NTA conducts Central Entrance Test for admission to various undergraduate courses. From next year, NEET-UG exam is going to be computer based (CBT) instead of pen and paper mode. Therefore, the members of the parliamentary panel inquired about the infrastructure, number of tests, time frame etc. required for this change.
The Committee reviewed the implementation of the K Radhakrishnan Committee Report on NTA Reforms. Sources said the members raised questions about who was responsible for the leak of the question paper and where was the negligence. In response, the officials said that the CBI investigation is on and it will be possible to find any loopholes in the system. He also said that efforts are being made to protect the system as a whole.
Apart from examination reforms, the meeting also discussed the impact of artificial intelligence in the education sector and strategies to increase employability of students in the age of technological advancement.
In the same session the Committee adopted two important reports. One is the 379th Report on Ministry of Women and Child Development Grants for the year 2025-26 and the other is the 380th Report on the activities of the National Teacher Education Council under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
The panel also discussed major achievements and challenges of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) and National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions (NCMEI). According to sources, important issues such as financial constraints, implementation of reservation, filling of administrative vacancies and challenges in implementation of NEP were raised during the discussion.
Incidentally, the NEET UG 2026 exam was canceled on May 12 due to question paper leaks. The exam was held on May 3 in 551 cities in India and 14 cities abroad.
The Union Education Ministry has ordered increased security for the re-examination scheduled for June 21. Officials also said that NEET-UG will be conducted in computer-based (CBT) mode from next year to prevent such irregularities.
