The central government has taken a monumental decision to completely overhaul the medical entrance system. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan announced that the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET-UG) will completely transition into a digital, Computer-Based Test (CBT) starting next year. This announcement comes on the heels of the government officially acknowledging irregularities and question paper leaks during the recently held exam.
For the current session, the cancelled examination has been officially rescheduled to Sunday, June 21, and will be conducted using the traditional pen-and-paper (OMR sheet) format one last time.
Government Concedes To Paper Leak Allegations
Breaking its initial stance, the Ministry of Education has admitted that the integrity of the medical entrance examination was compromised due to a confirmed question paper leak, which was reportedly circulated under the guise of "guess papers" on social media platforms like WhatsApp.
Following a detailed investigation by the Rajasthan Police's Special Operations Group (SOG) and looking at the systemic threat to fairness, the government adopted a strict zero-tolerance policy against the education mafia. The case has now been officially handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for a thorough probe, which has already led to multiple arrests across states.
Re-Exam Scheduled for June 21: Key Relaxations for Students
To ensure that over 22 lakh registered medical aspirants do not lose their academic year, the National Testing Agency (NTA), with the approval of the Government of India, will conduct a national-level re-examination.
Keeping the distress of the students in mind, the ministry has introduced major relief measures for the upcoming June 21 re-test:
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Fee Waiver/Refund: Students will not have to pay any fees for the re-examination. The fees already paid during the initial registration will be refunded, making the re-test completely free of cost.
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Extra Time: Acknowledging the extreme stress and intense summer heat waves expected in June, the NTA has granted an additional 15 minutes of examination time to all candidates.
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On-Centre Facilities: Special arrangements including drinking water, medical aid, and cooled environments will be prioritized at all exam centers due to the June heat.
Structural Shift: NEET-UG To Go Online From Next Year
To completely eradicate the threat of physical paper leaks and printing-press level data breaches, the government has announced that the OMR-sheet based system will be permanently scrapped.
Starting next year, the medical entrance test will migrate entirely to an online, multi-shift Computer-Based Test (CBT) format, aligning it with other major national examinations like the JEE Main. According to the Education Minister, the digital format will integrate robust encryption, stricter digital monitoring systems, and drastically reduce the time taken for result processing.
Avoid Rumors, Rely Only on Official Channels
The NTA has strictly advised students and parents not to fall prey to fake news or unofficial schedules circulating on social media. All authentic guidelines regarding revised admit cards, assigned exam centers, and reporting protocols will be updated directly on the official NTA portal.
For real-time assistance, the NTA has operationalized dedicated helpline numbers (011-40759000 and 011-69227700) alongside the official email support.
