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Exam in multiple stages, send test paper digitally, answers on OMR sheet: Panel after NEET UG leak

The committee was tasked with suggesting reforms to strengthen data security protocols, improve the examination process, and review the structure and operations of the NTA. It submitted its report to the Education Ministry recently.

Panel after leak: Send test paper digitally, answers on OMR sheetStudents stage a protest outside the Ministry of Education over the alleged irregularities in NEET 2024 results, in New Delhi. (PTI Photo/File)

Holding entrance exams online wherever possible and using a hybrid model, where question papers are transmitted digitally but answered on paper, if needed; conducting a multi-stage exam for medical aspirants; rationalising the choice of subjects under the Central University Entrance Test (CUET); and staffing the National Testing Agency (NTA) with more permanent personnel to manage these changes effectively.

These are among the key recommendations made by the seven-member committee, headed by former ISRO head Dr K Radhakrishnan, set up after the recent National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) paper leak  that set off nationwide furore.

The committee was tasked with suggesting reforms to strengthen data security protocols, improve the examination process, and review the structure and operations of the NTA. It submitted its report to the Education Ministry recently.

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The Indian Express has learned that the committee has not limited its recommendations to reforms for NEET but has proposed long-term measures to secure all entrance tests conducted by the Centre.

Broadly, it is understood that the panel has advocated for greater government control over exam administration. This would include increasing the number of its own examination centres instead of outsourcing the conduct of exams to service providers and employing more permanent staff for the NTA which relies heavily on contractual personnel.

neet paper leak NSUI students during a protest against NEET paper leak in New Delhi on 23.07.2024. (Express Photo by Amit Mehra)

Currently, examinations conducted by the NTA are typically held in government-run schools and colleges. When these venues are insufficient, the agency enlists AICTE-recognised institutes and colleges.

If that still falls short, service providers — agencies that assist with the online conduct of the exams — also bring in other private centres. It is learned that the use of these private centres has been discouraged by the panel.

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Further, while the panel has advocated for conducting entrance tests online as much as possible, it has suggested a hybrid mode for cases where this is not feasible.

Panel after leak: Send test paper digitally, answers on OMR sheet

In the hybrid mode, the question paper will be transmitted digitally to the exam centre but candidates will mark their answers on an OMR sheet. “This will significantly reduce the number of hands that the question paper passes through,” said a source.

This suggestion is significant given that the NEET-UG paper leak allegedly occurred when the question paper, after reaching an exam centre in Hazaribagh, Jharkhand, was accessed illegally and allegedly handed over to individuals who solved it.

Transmitting the paper digitally enables the exam-conducting agency to release the questions much closer to the examination start time, enhancing security and eliminating the need for the paper to go first to a printing press, then be stored in a bank strong room, and finally be handed over to the exam centre.

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On CUET, the committee has suggested limiting the choice of subjects for candidates. At present, the NTA, which conducts CUET on behalf of the University Grants Commission, offers over 50 subjects, allowing candidates to take tests in up to six of them.

The Radhakrishnan panel is said to have argued against the logic behind so many tests. “Why should a science student, who has already appeared for Board exams, have to sit for another test in the same subjects? The role of subjects should primarily be to determine eligibility, while CUET should assess general aptitude and some subject knowledge to prepare a merit list for college admissions. Why should students take up to six papers if they have already completed their board exams?” said a source.

Moreover, having so many subjects means creating multiple sets of question papers, which, in turn, increases the number of people involved — a factor “we should ideally minimise to maintain security and confidentiality,” the source added.

The Radhakrishnan panel is also reported to have recommended that NEET-UG be conducted in multiple stages, preferably two, similar to the Joint Entrance Exam, which includes JEE Main and JEE Advanced, due to the large number of aspirants. Nearly 20 lakh medical aspirants have registered for NEET-UG this year. Additionally, the panel suggested capping the number of attempts for NEET-UG, as currently, candidates can take the exam as many times as they wish.

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With Radhakrishnan, the expert committee includes former AIIMS Director Randeep Guleria; Hyderabad Central University Vice-Chancellor B J Rao; Professor Emeritus in the Department of Civil Engineering at IIT Madras, Ramamurthy K; Karmayogi Bharat Board Member, Pankaj Bansal; IIT Delhi Professor Aditya Mittal; and Joint Secretary in the Education Ministry Govind Jaiswal.

Ritika Chopra, an award-winning journalist with over 17 years of experience, serves as the Chief of the National Bureau (Govt) and National Education Editor at The Indian Express in New Delhi. In her current role, she oversees the newspaper's coverage of government policies and education. Ritika closely tracks the Union Government, focusing on the politically sensitive Election Commission of India and the Education Ministry, and has authored investigative stories that have prompted government responses. Ritika joined The Indian Express in 2015. Previously, she was part of the political bureau at The Economic Times, India’s largest financial daily. Her journalism career began in Kolkata, her birthplace, with the Hindustan Times in 2006 as an intern, before moving to Delhi in 2007. Since then, she has been reporting from the capital on politics, education, social sectors, and the Election Commission of India. ... Read More

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