India’s largest medical entrance examination may be headed for its biggest structural overhaul since the creation of the National Testing Agency (NTA), with Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan announcing that NEET UG will be conducted in Computer-Based Testing (CBT) mode from next year amid the escalating controversy surrounding alleged NEET UG 2026 paper leak irregularities.
The announcement comes even as the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has sought sweeping reforms in the conduct of NEET UG, including a transition to online examinations across all states and Union Territories, arguing that repeated controversies have shaken public trust in the examination system.
The developments come at a time when the credibility of high-stakes entrance examinations is once again under scrutiny, nearly two years after the NEET 2024 controversy had triggered nationwide protests, Supreme Court proceedings and a CBI probe into alleged examination irregularities.
“NTA needs to be improved. NEET UG should be held in CBT mode from next year. CBT will be better than offline exams,” Pradhan said on Thursday.
The minister also said the government would undertake wider reforms in the examination ecosystem after the ongoing investigation is completed.
“Let CBI complete its inspection and we will do whatever improvement is to be made in NTA and we will improve it,” he added.
The remarks are significant because they point towards a long-term shift in how India conducts one of the world’s largest entrance examinations, currently taken by more than 22 lakh aspirants annually.
Doctors’ association seeks wider NTA reforms
In a May 14 letter addressed to the Education Minister, the IMA expressed “profound concern and deep disappointment” over the alleged compromise of the NEET UG 2026 examination process and called for “immediate action against NTA and the culprits involved.”
The doctors’ body argued that conducting a single-day offline examination for more than 22.5 lakh candidates across thousands of centres had become “an extremely challenging task.”
The association urged the government to:
- conduct NEET UG in online mode,
- strengthen technological safeguards,
- ensure a time-bound CBI investigation,
- establish fast-track courts for exam fraud cases,
- and restore public trust in the examination system.
The letter also stated that recurring irregularities had caused “immense mental trauma, stress, hardship, and uncertainty” for lakhs of students and families.
Leak controversy revives concerns around offline examinations
The latest controversy emerged after allegations surfaced online that handwritten “guess papers”, allegedly circulated through WhatsApp and Telegram groups before the May 3 examination, resembled portions of the final NEET UG 2026 paper.
The Rajasthan Police Special Operations Group (SOG) is currently investigating the matter, while authorities are probing claims related to similarities in questions and answer sequences.
The developments have reignited debate around the vulnerability of large-scale offline examinations in an era where encrypted messaging platforms can rapidly circulate material across states within minutes.
While the NTA had strengthened security measures after the 2024 controversy — including biometric verification, GPS tracking of question paper movement, AI-assisted surveillance and signal jammers at centres — the latest allegations have revived questions about vulnerabilities outside examination halls, particularly during paper transportation and pre-exam circulation phases.
Re-exam scheduled for June 21
Earlier, the NTA announced that the re-examination of NEET UG 2026 would be conducted on June 21 with the approval of the Government of India.
“NEET (UG) 2026 – Examination Date Announced. The National Testing Agency, with the approval of the Government of India, has scheduled the re-examination of NEET (UG) 2026 on Sunday, 21 June 2026,” the agency said.
The NTA also urged students and parents to rely only on official communication channels amid widespread speculation online.
Why the CBT shift matters
If implemented, the transition to CBT mode would fundamentally alter the operational structure of NEET UG, which has traditionally relied on the printing, transportation and simultaneous distribution of physical question papers across thousands of centres.
Supporters of CBT-based examinations argue that digital systems with randomised question banks can significantly reduce the risks associated with physical paper movement and organised leak networks.
At the same time, the proposed shift is also likely to trigger debate around digital infrastructure, internet connectivity and computer familiarity among students from rural and underserved regions. The move may additionally require major expansion of secure testing infrastructure across India given the sheer scale of NEET UG compared to other computer-based entrance examinations.
Beyond the immediate controversy, the latest developments signal that the debate around NEET UG is no longer limited to individual leak allegations. Instead, it has evolved into a larger conversation about whether India’s high-stakes examination ecosystem itself requires structural redesign in the digital era.
