A parliamentary standing committee on education will examine the integrity of national-level examinations and consider reforms to India’s public examination system, as concerns over paper leaks and examination security continue to put the National Testing Agency (NTA) under scrutiny.
The Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports has finalised its agenda for 2026–27 after being reconstituted in September for a one-year term. Its review will also cover coaching centres, the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, and the functioning of key school education institutions, including the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) and the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).
The committee’s decision follows the controversy over the alleged leakage of the NEET-UG 2026 question paper and the subsequent cancellation of the medical entrance examination. The panel will examine whether changes are needed to strengthen the security and fairness of national examinations.
NTA faces calls for structural reform
The latest review follows the committee’s 382nd report on reforms and strengthening of the NTA, presented on October 9. That report called for stronger accountability, permanent specialist staff and changes to the way question papers are prepared and examinations conducted.
The committee noted that only 23 of the NTA’s 39 sanctioned positions were filled, leaving a vacancy rate of 41%. It recommended that the agency recruit permanent specialists in examination security, psychometrics, digital infrastructure, data analytics and examination logistics, rather than relying predominantly on officers deputed for limited periods.
To reduce the risk of paper leaks, the panel called for a large, continuously updated question bank, with final papers prepared close to the examination date. It also recommended stricter checks on the credentials and potential conflicts of interest of experts involved in question-setting and translation.
The report further proposed an independent mechanism to audit examination security, investigate candidate grievances and report directly to the Ministry of Education. It recommended that the NTA consider financial compensation for candidates affected by administrative cancellations and establish timelines for grievance redressal.
The committee also called for greater public disclosure of examination-related investigations. The Department of Higher Education had told the panel that no paper leak had occurred in an NTA-conducted examination between the agency’s formation in 2017 and 2025. The report recorded that this assertion differed from the views of some committee members and recommended a publicly available account of relevant examinations and investigations.
Coaching centres and examination fairness
The committee will examine the functioning of coaching centres, including the regulations governing them, their enforcement and compliance with prescribed requirements.
The review comes amid continuing concerns about the role of private coaching in competitive examinations and unequal access to preparation resources. In a separate report on NTA reforms earlier in October, the panel argued that entrance examinations should assess conceptual understanding based on the school curriculum rather than reward techniques taught by coaching institutes.
The committee had also raised concerns about coaching institutions following a parallel curriculum to maximise examination performance. Its recommendations included greater scrutiny of the coaching sector and stronger safeguards against conflicts of interest in examination administration.
The new review will assess the regulatory framework and its implementation, although the committee’s announced agenda does not specify a deadline for submitting its findings.
NEP, NCERT and CBSE under review
The panel will review progress in implementing NEP 2020, along with the functioning and performance of NCERT, which develops school curricula and supports educational research and learning resources.
CBSE’s affiliation framework, regulatory functions, examination administration and overseas ventures will also come under scrutiny. The committee will examine the Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE), which plays an advisory role in education policy and coordination between the Centre and states.
These reviews could bring curriculum implementation, school-board administration and institutional performance into the same policy discussion as national entrance examination reforms.
Student welfare and AI in education
The committee’s agenda includes student health and safety, mental well-being, inclusive education and grievance-redressal mechanisms in schools.
It will also consider the impact of artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies on education, particularly their implications for students’ employability. The panel is expected to examine the implementation of University Grants Commission regulations and guidelines on the internationalisation of higher education.