Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Friday announced that the NEET-UG re-examination will be conducted on June 21 and confirmed that from next year, the medical entrance exam will shift to a computer-based test (CBT) format as part of major reforms following allegations of irregularities and paper leaks.
Addressing a press conference, Pradhan said safeguarding students’ future remains the government’s “topmost priority” and assured strict action against those responsible for any malpractice in the examination process.
“Our topmost priority is the future of students. We will not allow malpractice to happen this time. The government stands with you,” he said.
The NEET-UG examination, originally held on May 3, was cancelled after allegations surfaced regarding irregularities in the conduct of the test.
Pradhan said concerns first emerged through the grievance system of the National Testing Agency regarding alleged overlaps between examination questions and so-called “guess papers”, prompting authorities to initiate an inquiry.
“The process began on May 8 and continued over several days. Once we got clarity and confirmation that questions had been leaked, we took the decision on May 12 keeping students’ interests in mind,” he said.
The minister said immediate discussions followed, with the NTA, the government and the Higher Education Department launching a preliminary inquiry before the matter was handed over to central agencies.
Pradhan said the investigation has now been transferred to the CBI and asserted that no individual involved would be spared.
“The CBI has clearly stated that no one will be spared. Whether someone is inside the NTA or outside, action will be taken against all responsible persons,” he said.
Explaining the shift to the CBT format, Pradhan said computer-based examinations offer better safeguards compared to traditional OMR-based systems.
“CBT mode is comparatively better and more secure. Cybercrime is a major challenge today, but we also need to trust our country’s systems,” he added.
The announcement came after a high-level review meeting was held late Thursday at the minister’s residence to assess preparations for conducting the examination afresh.
