Parliamentary Panel Suggests NEET Reforms, Learning from China and US

The National Testing Agency (NTA) and National Medical Council (NMC) officials appeared before a parliamentary committee on Wednesday to discuss measures for securing the NEET-UG examination system. NTA Director General Abhishek Singh and NMC President Abhijat Sheth were present at the meeting. The committee emphasized the need to learn from countries like China and the US, where exams are conducted without complaints, and recommended adopting robust systems to ensure exam security in India.

The discussion follows the recent controversy surrounding the NEET-UG paper leak. The undergraduate medical admission exam, originally held on 3 May 2026, was canceled on 12 May due to allegations of a leak. It is now rescheduled for 21 June. Officials informed the committee that their current focus is on conducting the re-exam in a secure pen-and-paper format.

The committee also suggested conducting NEET-UG two to three times a year to provide students with multiple opportunities and reduce stress caused by uncontrollable factors. This idea has been proposed in the past but has not been implemented. In 2023, the National Medical Commission stated that holding NEET-UG multiple times annually was impractical due to the single counseling process for MBBS admissions.

Separately, China's spokesperson Yu Jing shared a video highlighting the scale of China's Gaokao exam, which she described as the world's largest. She noted that 1.3 crore students participated over two days, with factories halting operations and roads remaining empty to support the exam process. She compared it to India's JEE and NEET exams, which see over 20 lakh and 15 lakh candidates, respectively.

The committee also expressed concern over rising student suicides and urged the government to support affected families. Additionally, it stressed the importance of coordination between NTA and NMC to ensure no medical seats remain vacant.

Key Points

• NTA and NMC officials appeared before a parliamentary committee to discuss NEET-UG reforms.
• The committee suggested learning from China and the US to improve exam security.
• NEET-UG paper leak led to the cancellation of the 3 May exam; re-exam scheduled for 21 June.
• Proposal to conduct NEET-UG 2-3 times a year to reduce student stress.
• Concerns raised over student suicides and the need for government support to affected families.