New Delhi, May 22: A parliamentary panel on Thursday sought updates from the Director General of the National Testing Agency (NTA), Abhishek Singh, regarding the ongoing probe into the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak. Members also questioned the steps being taken to prevent similar incidents in the future.
According to sources, Singh informed the committee that the leak did not originate from the NTA’s systems. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is currently investigating the breach, which led to the cancellation of the NEET-UG exam. The rescheduled examination is now set to be conducted on June 21.
Education Secretary Vineet Joshi also appeared before the committee. Members raised concerns about the NEET-UG paper leak and discussed measures to strengthen the NTA’s testing process. The discussion included the computer-based test infrastructure, exam frequency and duration, and other operational aspects, as NEET-UG prepares to transition fully to computer-based testing next year.
Digvijaya Singh, Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports, said the meeting “went very well,” with input from all members. He noted that members were “very concerned” about the issues discussed but declined to provide specific details at this stage.
Committee sources stated that members posed rigorous questions regarding the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak and sought clarity on measures to make NTA’s testing mechanism foolproof. The panel also reviewed the implementation of the K. Radhakrishnan Committee Report on NTA reforms and was informed that 75% of the recommendations have been implemented. Officials highlighted that 25% of key positions remain vacant and assured that further appointments and structural improvements are underway.
The discussions extended beyond examination reforms to address the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on education and strategies to enhance student employability amid technological advancements.
Additionally, the committee considered two reports: the 379th Report on Action Taken by the Government regarding the Demands for Grants 2025-26 of the Ministry of Women & Child Development, and the 380th Report on the functioning of the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE), focusing on teacher capacity building under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The panel also deliberated on challenges faced by Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) and the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions (NCMEI), covering financial constraints, implementation of reservations, administrative vacancies, and NEP implementation challenges.
The NEET-UG 2026 exam, originally held on May 3 across 551 cities in India and 14 abroad, was cancelled on May 12 following allegations of a coordinated paper leak, affecting over 22 lakh candidates. In response, the Union Education Ministry has ordered enhanced security measures for the re-examination on June 21.
