The Supreme Court recently granted a two-week extension to the Centre-appointed expert panel for submitting its report on examination reforms. The seven-member committee, headed by former ISRO chief K Radhakrishnan, is reviewing the functioning of the National Testing Agency (NTA), particularly in conducting the NEET-UG, the national entrance test for undergraduate medical programmes.
In its August 2 order, the Supreme Court expanded the panel’s remit to include recommendations for reforming the controversial NEET-UG, with the aim of making the examination more transparent and secure, free from malpractices. The NEET-UG, which determines admissions to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH, and other medical courses, is taken by over 23 lakh students each year and is conducted by the NTA.
The court also refused to annul the 2024 edition of the NEET-UG, citing insufficient evidence of a systemic leak or malpractice that could have compromised the integrity of the exam, as per a PTI report.
During Monday’s proceedings, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, requested an extension on the committee’s report submission. A bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, along with Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, granted the additional time, noting that the panel’s report was nearly complete.
The Supreme Court had previously highlighted several security breaches involving the NTA, including incidents at a test centre in Hazaribagh, Jharkhand, where unauthorised individuals accessed the question papers, and issues with improper transport and distribution of exam materials.
In addition to Radhakrishnan, the expert panel includes Randeep Guleria, BJ Rao, Ramamurthy K, Pankaj Bansal, Aditya Mittal, and Govind Jaiswal. Their responsibilities have been extended to cover broader areas such as exam security, data protection, technological upgrades, policy recommendations, international collaboration, and mental health support for students. The panel will also provide recommendations on training NTA staff to prevent future lapses, reported the PTI.
The findings of this expert panel are expected to play a crucial role in improving the integrity of the NEET-UG and addressing the widespread concerns surrounding its conduct.