NEET-UG to remain offline, Panel’s suggestion overruled
The National Testing Agency (NTA) announced on Thursday that the NEET-UG 2025 exam will remain offline in a single shift, despite recommendations from a government-formed expert panel. This decision comes after the panel proposed shifting to a multi-session and multi-stage online format to address concerns over the previous exam’s mishaps, including allegations of paper leaks, inflated marks, and grace marks. NTA has decided to stick to the pen-and-paper format that was used in 2024.
The decision followed input from the National Medical Commission (NMC) and came after extensive deliberation. The NTA emphasized the benefits of maintaining consistency, ensuring students are familiar with the exam mode. However, experts from the high-level panel, including Professor BJ Rao, suggested that significant changes, such as introducing online testing, would require extensive infrastructure overhaul. Rao highlighted that this would take time and recommended creating test centers across districts.
In 2024, NTA conducted the exam for 2.4 million students, using the offline method with multiple-choice questions. However, last year’s exam was marred by allegations of irregularities, leading to public protests. The Supreme Court allowed the government to scrap grace marks, though it acknowledged the chaos surrounding the process.
The committee’s 101 recommendations focused on improving NTA’s functioning, including suggestions for multi-stage and multi-session tests, which the NTA has yet to implement. The panel also recommended collaboration with local government agencies to prevent malpractices and ensure a smooth examination process.
The committee’s report, which was submitted to the government on October 21, also called for multi-session tests for large exams like NEET-UG, proposing measures to improve transparency and fairness. NTA, however, chose not to adopt these changes for 2025 due to the logistical challenges involved.
Despite the government’s decision, some students expressed concern over potential paper leaks, fearing the offline method would not prevent future issues. They suggested an online or hybrid approach to minimize the risk of fraud.
In response, experts like Rao recommended that NTA work closely with government institutions, such as Kendriya Vidyalayas and Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas, for conducting exams to ensure better control and security. They argued that involving government-run institutions would reduce reliance on private centers, which have been criticized for facilitating malpractices.
As the exam date approaches, students and experts remain divided on whether NTA’s decision will adequately address the issues raised in past exams.
