“Securing NEET through a resilient NTA”, First Post, May 23, 2026

“May 3, 2026, was a momentous day in the lives of more than 22 lakh students across the nation who appeared for NEET-UG 2026. This centrally administered test conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) is the second most sought-after entrance examination after JEE Main for any student graduating from high school. Naturally, the stakes were very high for students, parents and their relatives.

Now, for anyone who was following NTA in the build-up to the test, the agency had been gearing up for the day. Having implemented the key recommendations of the K. Radhakrishnan Committee Report (2024), the agency was communicating with candidates on a regular basis through its social media platforms. It looked fully prepared to deliver a hassle-free examination experience to students. It was confident of conducting a fair and transparent examination, having instituted major evidence-based reforms.

The K. Radhakrishnan Committee, a High-Level Committee of Experts constituted by the Union Ministry of Education on 22 June 2024, proposed a set of reforms for making NEET robust, secure and breach-proof. For example, it recommended close coordination between the states and the Centre through state- and district-level committees, mandated to cross-check for oversights in the real-time administration of the test. The committee also recommended the use of advanced technology and artificial intelligence to ensure fool-proof security of the examination system. Biometric verification of candidates, AI-based CCTV surveillance at examination centres, and GPS-enabled vehicles for transporting test papers were made mandatory. Clearly, the trust and faith that more than two million students reposed in the agency were expected to be upheld…….”

Read full article at firstpost.com