NEET UG Online Exam Plan Underway, Nilekani Panel Working on Framework: NTA Chief

The NEET-UG examination is set to move from the traditional pen-and-paper format to a computer- based test (CBT), NTA Director General Abhishek Singh said. The move is part of the agency’s plan to modernise examinations and strengthen safeguards against paper leaks, impersonation and other irregularities. NEET-UG is currently the only major NTA examination not conducted in CBT mode, while JEE, UGC-NET, CUET and NIFT have already adopted the format. Singh said CBT is the future and all NTA examinations will eventually shift online. However, the transition will require significant expansion of testing infrastructure and security systems, reports India Today.

A high-powered task force led by Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani is assessing the infrastructure, technology and security requirements for conducting NEET-UG through computers at its massive scale. The NTA is also exploring artificial intelligence to analyse examination logs, data and patterns to detect possible malpractice and system-level issues. Singh said the immediate priority is to make India’s examination systems more transparent, secure and reliable. The agency may later explore conducting examinations at international locations and for global bodies.