Dharmendra Pradhan orders foolproof re-test

NEW DELHI: Amid continuing scrutiny over the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak controversy, the National Testing Agency (NTA) on Tuesday announced a series of institutional, technological and administrative reforms while union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan chaired a high-level review meeting to assess preparations for the forthcoming NEET (UG) re-examination and tighten security arrangements across states.The reforms come weeks after the cancellation of the May 3 NEET-UG examination following allegations that parts of the question paper had been leaked before the test. The controversy revived concerns over examination security after earlier irregularities linked to NEET in 2024, including paper leak allegations, grace marks disputes, suspicious perfect scores and claims of organised malpractice networks operating across multiple states.NTA said it had initiated measures to strengthen its “leadership team, institutional capacity and oversight mechanisms” in line with recommendations of the high-level expert committee headed by former ISRO chief K Radhakrishnan.As part of the restructuring, four senior officers, including two joint secretary-level officers designated as additional director generals, have been posted to the agency to improve administrative oversight and operational monitoring. The NTA has also advertised three specialist leadership posts — chief technology officer (CTO), chief finance officer (CFO) and general manager (human resources) — aimed at modernising examination systems, institutional governance and internal accountability structures.According to the agency, the proposed CTO will oversee the full digital examination ecosystem, including confidential question paper management, AI-driven integrity controls, biometric and facial authentication systems, cyber-security safeguards and anomaly analytics designed to detect suspicious patterns during examinations.The agency said broader reforms would include structural changes in question paper preparation, translation, printing and logistics, along with technology-enabled safeguards at every stage. It also proposed continuous monitoring systems, stronger audit frameworks, professional training, enhanced stakeholder coordination and improved grievance redressal mechanisms for students and parents.During Tuesday’s review meeting, Pradhan stressed that all gaps identified in the earlier examination process must be comprehensively addressed and eliminated. He directed officials to ensure the re-examination was conducted in a “secure, seamless and foolproof manner” under stringent protocols. The minister also instructed authorities to hold coordination meetings with district magistrates and superintendents of police across states to strengthen monitoring, maintain vigilance at centres and ensure adequate arrangements, transportation support, medical assistance and student facilitation systems for candidates appearing in the examination nationwide over the coming weeks. Officials were also asked to ensure uninterrupted power supply, secure storage facilities for examination materials and rapid-response teams for emergencies.