The Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports has recommended that the Centre explore age and attempt limits for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test for Undergraduate courses (NEET-UG) and shift the medical entrance examination from pen-and-paper mode to computer-based testing (CBT).
The recommendations are part of the 382nd report of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports on reforms to the National Testing Agency (NTA). The report was presented to Rajya Sabha Chairman C P Radhakrishnan on October 9, 2026. The committee is headed by Rajya Sabha MP Mukul Wasnik.
The panel has also called for government-owned examination centres in every district, a secure digital question bank, stronger cybersecurity at the NTA and a mechanism to ensure the agency's accountability to Parliament. The recommendations follow concerns over examination security, including the cancellation of NEET-UG 2026 after a question paper leak.
Panel asks Centre to explore age and attempt limits
The committee noted that NEET-UG has no upper age limit or restriction on the number of attempts. Citing information that candidates above the age of 70 had appeared for the examination, it recommended that the Ministry of Education consult the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and other stakeholders on introducing reasonable limits.
NEET-UG had an upper age limit and an attempt cap when the examination was introduced. In 2017, candidates from the general category were subject to an upper age limit of 25 years, while the limit for reserved-category candidates was 30 years. Candidates were also restricted to three attempts. Following legal challenges, the National Medical Commission removed the upper age limit in March 2022.
The committee's latest recommendation does not change the existing eligibility rules. Any age or attempt limit would have to be introduced through a separate decision by the relevant authorities.
NEET-UG may move to computer-based testing
The committee has recommended shifting NEET-UG from pen-and-paper mode to computer-based testing (CBT). It said the transition would require secure testing infrastructure and better access to examination facilities, particularly in rural areas and Tier-II and Tier-III cities. The panel has called for a phased transition to ensure the necessary facilities are in place before the new format is introduced.
Under the current pen-and-paper format, question papers must be printed, transported and distributed to examination centres. The panel said this process creates vulnerabilities in examination security. In CBT mode, questions can be delivered digitally, reducing the need to transport physical question papers.
The committee has recommended that the NTA develop a large, diverse and continuously updated question bank. Question papers should be prepared close to the examination date, with safeguards to prevent question-setters from accessing the final papers in advance. It has also called for the credentials and professional records of experts involved in setting and translating questions to be checked for integrity and potential conflicts of interest.
A shift to CBT could mean that candidates take the examination in multiple sessions. To ensure fairness, the committee has called for a transparent and independently audited method of normalising scores across sessions. It has also recommended mock tests to familiarise candidates with the digital format before the actual examination.
Government-owned centres in every district
The committee has recommended that examination centres used for the proposed CBT system be owned and operated by the Union or state governments. It identified privately operated centres working through subcontractors as a potential weak link in examination security.
The panel has called for a concrete implementation plan, backed by budgetary provisions, to establish secure government-owned centres, including at least one examination centre in every district. It has also proposed that the NTA support the development of computer laboratories with 100 to 200 terminals in schools and colleges that can provide the required space.
The committee said the expansion should reduce the travel and accommodation expenses borne by candidates, while ensuring that students in remote areas are not disadvantaged by the transition to computer-based examinations.
Other recommendations to strengthen the NTA
The report proposes changes beyond NEET-UG, including measures to strengthen the NTA's staffing, security systems and accountability.
The committee has called for a parliamentary framework to ensure the NTA is accountable to both Houses of Parliament. It has also recommended that the agency recruit permanent specialists in examination security, digital infrastructure, data analytics, assessment design and logistics, rather than relying heavily on officials appointed on deputation.
The panel has recommended an in-house cybersecurity team to protect examination systems against hacking and other digital threats. It has also called for a public registry of blacklisted examination vendors, greater disclosure of investigations into examination irregularities and a more effective grievance-redressal mechanism for candidates.
Another recommendation concerns candidates who arrive late at examination centres for genuine reasons. The panel has proposed allowing them to enter after signing an undertaking, provided they take the examination only for the remaining time and receive no additional time. It has also recommended that a separate 15-minute window be provided for administrative formalities.
The committee has further called for a review of NEET-UG qualifying percentiles and cut-off methodology, a possible two-stage examination structure for medical admissions, and annual equity audits examining participation and outcomes across states, gender, school boards, language and social categories. These are proposals for further consideration, not changes already made to the examination system.
The recommendations will require consideration by the relevant ministries and examination authorities. Until the government announces and implements any changes, NEET-UG's existing eligibility rules and examination format remain in place.
