House panel asks NTA to hold entrance exams in CBT mode, Pg14

Key Highlights:

• A Parliamentary Standing Committee recommended that the National Testing Agency (NTA) transition flagship entrance examinations, including NEET-UG, to Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode.
• The committee, in its report tabled in the Rajya Sabha, also called for stringent logistical precautions and a centralised national registry to blacklist compromised vendors.
• The recommendations aim to address recurring paper leaks and integrity risks associated with traditional pen-and-paper formats.
• The panel highlighted a significant workforce shortage within the NTA, with over 40% vacancy in key permanent posts.
• Approximately 1.2 crore students annually appear for examinations conducted by the NTA, making its reforms crucial for higher education.

NTA Reforms.jpg

Detailed Insights:

• The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports submitted its 382nd report on October 9, 2026, focusing on reforms for the NTA.
• The shift to CBT mode is intended to eliminate handling risks and enable dynamic, randomised question sets from continuously updated question banks.
• The panel suggested exploring multi-session CBT schedules for large-scale exams, with independently audited and transparent normalisation methodologies.
• It urged the NTA to collaborate with renowned academic institutions like Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), and Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) for content curation.
• Strict background checks for paper setters are recommended to prevent conflicts of interest, particularly with private coaching academies.
• To bridge digital connectivity gaps in rural areas, the committee advised utilizing mid-sized IT labs in public universities and government colleges.
• The report emphasized establishing a centralised digital registry to prevent blacklisted vendors from securing contracts with other educational bodies.
• The NTA, established in 2017, conducts major entrance exams like JEE Main and CUET-UG, and has faced controversies regarding exam integrity.

Key Concepts Involved:

• National Testing Agency (NTA): An autonomous body under the Ministry of Education, established in 2017 to conduct entrance examinations for higher educational institutions in India.
• Computer-Based Test (CBT): An examination method where candidates take tests on computers, offering advantages like automated scoring and enhanced security against leaks.
• NEET-UG: The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate), a national-level entrance examination for admission to medical and dental courses in India.
• Parliamentary Standing Committee: A committee of Members of Parliament constituted to scrutinize specific subjects, ministries, or departments, and present reports to the Parliament.