NEET to be held online or in pen-and-paper mode: Decision expected soon, says Pradhan

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The Education and Health Ministries are currently in discussions about whether the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET-UG) should continue to be conducted in pen-and-paper format or transition to an online format. A final decision on this matter is expected shortly, according to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

As per PTI, the Education Ministry has already held two rounds of talks with the Health Ministry, which is led by Union Minister JP Nadda, to assess the most suitable mode of conducting the exam. Currently, NEET-UG is administered offline, with students answering multiple-choice questions (MCQs) on an OMR sheet.

NEET-UG is one of the largest entrance exams in the country, with a record 24 lakh candidates expected to appear for the 2024 examination. The exam is primarily used for admissions into medical courses, including MBBS, BDS, and other undergraduate programmes in fields like Dentistry, Ayurveda, Unani, and Siddha. In total, there are approximately 1,08,000 seats available for the MBBS course, with roughly 56,000 in government medical colleges and 52,000 in private institutions.

Pradhan explained that since the Health Ministry administers NEET, the Education Ministry is working closely with them to determine the best mode of conducting the examination. "We have had two rounds of discussions with the Health Ministry, led by JP Nadda. The National Testing Agency (NTA) is ready to carry out the exam in whatever mode is decided," he stated. The Education Minister further confirmed that a final decision is expected soon, and any reforms regarding the examination format would be implemented starting with the 2025 edition.

The idea of transitioning NEET to a Computer-Based Test (CBT) has been considered several times in the past but gained significant momentum this year following the controversy over a paper leak. As per PTI, the Centre responded by forming a high-level committee to ensure the transparent and fair conduct of examinations by the NTA.

The panel, led by former ISRO chief R. Radhakrishnan, recommended the possibility of multi-stage testing for NEET-UG as a viable option. The panel also suggested that a new framework should be established, outlining thresholds, scoring systems, and ranking at each stage of the exam, in addition to guidelines on the number of attempts candidates may be allowed.

In the wake of alleged irregularities surrounding NEET and other entrance exams, including the UGC-NET, the Ministry had also taken swift action to cancel exams where the integrity of the process was compromised. These include NEET PG, CSIR-UGC NET, and others, which were cancelled either during or just before their scheduled dates as a precautionary measure.

The committee tasked with examining and strengthening the security protocols surrounding the exam process also includes several prominent academicians and experts, such as former AIIMS Delhi Director Randeep Guleria, IIT Madras' Professor K. Ramamurthy, and People Strong co-founder Pankaj Bansal, along with members from IIT Kanpur, as per PTI reports.

(With inputs from PTI)