Dharmendra Pradhan orders foolproof re-test
New Delhi: Amid continued scrutiny over the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak controversy, the National Testing Agency (NTA) on Tuesday announced a series of institutional, technical and administrative reforms while Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan chaired a high-level review meeting to reassess NEETU’s preparedness for tcom. Security arrangements across the state.The reforms come weeks after the NEET-UG exam was canceled on May 3 following allegations of part of the question paper being leaked ahead of the exam. The controversy revived concerns over exam security after earlier irregularities linked to NEET 2024, including allegations of paper leaks, disputes over grace marks, questionable perfect scores and claims of organized malpractice networks operating across multiple states.The NTA said it has taken measures to strengthen its “leadership team, institutional capacity and oversight mechanisms” in line with the recommendations of a high-level expert committee headed by former ISRO chief K Radhakrishnan.As part of the restructuring, four senior officers have been posted to the agency, including two joint-secretary-level officers designated as Additional Director Generals to enhance administrative oversight and operational monitoring. The NTA has advertised for three specialist leadership positions – Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and General Manager (Human Resources) – with a view to modernizing the examination system, institutional governance and internal accountability structure.According to the organization, the proposed CTO will oversee the entire digital exam ecosystem, including confidential question paper management, AI-powered integrity controls, biometric and facial authentication systems, cyber-security protection and anomaly analysis designed to detect suspicious patterns during exams.The agency said the comprehensive reforms will include structural changes in question paper generation, translation, printing and logistics with technology-enabled security at every stage. It proposed continuous monitoring system for students and parents, strong audit framework, professional training, enhanced stakeholder coordination and improved grievance redressal mechanism.In Tuesday’s review meeting, the chief stressed that all loopholes identified in the earlier examination process must be comprehensively addressed and eliminated. He directed officials to ensure re-examination in a “safe, seamless and foolproof manner” under strict protocols. The minister directed the authorities to hold coordination meetings with district magistrates and superintendents of police across the state to strengthen vigilance, maintain vigilance at centers and ensure adequate arrangements, transport assistance, medical assistance and student facilities for candidates appearing for the examination in the coming weeks. Officials were asked to ensure uninterrupted power supply, secure storage facilities for test materials and quick-response teams for emergencies.
