The Ministry of Education has requested an additional three weeks from the Supreme Court to submit an important report concerning the National Testing Agency (NTA) and its examination procedures. This extension comes in light of alleged irregularities during the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test - Undergraduate (NEET-UG) exam, as stated in a report by the Financial Express.
A seven-member committee, headed by former ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) Chairman K Radhakrishnan, was formed in June to deliver its findings within two months.
Initially, the committee was tasked with recommending reforms in the examination process, enhancing data security measures, and assessing the overall operations of the NTA.
However, in the month of August, the Supreme Court expanded the committee's mandate. The court directed the panel to examine the security, administration, and data protection protocols of the examinations, including encryption and secure transmission methods, to prevent leaks and unauthorised access to exam materials.
Furthermore, the deadline for the committee’s report had already been pushed from August 22 to September 30. Now, the Centre is seeking to extend this deadline further to October 21, asserting that while a “comprehensive first draft” has been created, additional refinement is necessary to “effectively communicate the essence” of the discussions and establish a solid framework for future national entrance exams.
Following this, in its application to the Supreme Court, the Centre emphasised the committee’s thorough efforts, which included 22 meetings with a variety of stakeholders, such as state governments, exam agencies, law enforcement, academics, and international testing experts.
The panel also received more than 37,000 responses from students, parents, and experts through the MyGov portal as part of an extensive consultation initiative.
It may be noted that this review follows a series of controversies surrounding the NEET-UG exam, including an alleged paper leak and a retest for over 1,500 candidates owing to technical malfunctions.
Furthermore, the University Grants Commission - Nation Eligibility Test (UGC-NET); Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR)-UGC-NET, and NEET-PG (Postgraduate) exams have faced delays or cancellations amid these irregularities. Although the Supreme Court ruled in August that there was no systemic leak of NEET-UG papers, it raised concerns regarding how the NTA managed the examination process this year.
The committee’s final recommendations are anticipated to influence the future of national entrance exams, ensuring enhanced security and transparency in the administration of these critical tests.
