Education Ministry weighs moving NEET UG from pen and paper to computer-based test
No final decision has been taken, and the government is awaiting the report of a high-level task force headed by Nandan Nilekani.
The Education Ministry has begun preparations for a major change in the way NEET UG is conducted. The examination has so far been held on pen and paper, but a computer-based format is now under consideration. Work is under way on a strategy to put in place the technical infrastructure and examination centres needed for an online test across the country.
No final decision on conducting NEET online has been taken yet. The government is waiting for the report of a high-level task force constituted under the chairmanship of Nandan Nilekani. The final decision on the way forward will be taken only after the task force makes its recommendations, which means nothing is certain about the format of the examination until then.
The likely impact of an online NEET on candidates from rural areas, women and districts with poor connectivity is being studied. Separate preparations are being made on how many examination centres will be available and on keeping technical facilities running without interruption. The steps to be followed in moving from the pen-and-paper mode to the computer-based test (CBT) mode are also under consideration.
Several major examinations of the National Testing Agency (NTA) are already held on computer. These include JEE Main, CUET UG and PG, UGC NET and CSIR UGC NET. Once adequate infrastructure is ready, steps could be taken to hold NEET online, like other entrance examinations.
The idea of holding NEET in CBT mode is not new. However, the process has gathered pace after a question paper leak this year and the vigorous protests by students across the country that followed. The Union government set up the high-level task force to make the public examination system more secure, and everyone is now waiting for its report.
